


Death Twist

by Todsy



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Control, Dark, Dark Fred Weasley & George Weasley, M/M, Manipulation, Morally Grey Harry Potter, Multi, Possessive Tom Riddle, Potter's Alive, Rebirth, Sane Tom Riddle, Slow Build, Smart Draco Malfoy, Smart Harry, Torture, Voldemort rebirth, same age au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-06
Updated: 2020-04-21
Packaged: 2021-01-24 08:40:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 111,468
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21335377
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Todsy/pseuds/Todsy
Summary: A weird gaze is following Tom Riddle around. It happens future will be changed and he isn't going to happy about it. A story about Tom Riddle being picked up by Death and throwing him on a spike within a new body.
Relationships: Harry Potter/Tom Riddle
Comments: 43
Kudos: 328





	1. Chapter 1

Tom Riddle was fuming - as he had just been rejected from being applied as the Defence Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts. Even in his old age the old fart was convinced he was only evil and not any good to do anything. There wasn’t a hint of trust the Headmaster had in him. 

Thankfully he had managed to get into Hogwarts at least and was now on his way to deposit his new Horcrux to it’s hiding spot. It wasn’t all in vain and his resolutions were even more clear now after facing his old teacher once again. 

The wizarding community in England had to be changed, as it was heading for it’s inevitable doom. If everything went according to plan, he was to one to accomplish this task. The one to bring change, no matter how many forceful means he would need to use. Wizards were foolish to believe the idealized ideas of Dumbledore. 

Then as he entered the Room of Requirement and deposited the tiara in its rightful place he couldn’t help but feel there was something staring at him. Turning around there was no one and then feeling was gone. Yet - he was never wrong about these things. 

Simple paranoia couldn’t brush away the feeling that he had just felt. It was quite familiar, almost if he had experienced it before. That sinking feeling of having realised something but the answer evaded him. 

Checking the room a few more times proved to be unhelpful as there really was nothing there except for him and the lost items. It might be better to push the feeling away as paranoia for now but he stored the memory away, if it ever came knocking again. 

  
  


Years passed and he started his reign as Lord Voldemort and in the process created more Horcruxes. Each and every time the same feeling appeared again and again. Questions shot up, was it a side effect of creating the horcruxes? Could someone be keeping an eye on me? Is the pieces of my souls somehow still connected? 

Nothing proved to be the right answer and the feeling kept growing stronger and stronger. His knowledge was limited and the more he scavenged for information on the Horcruxes the more he realised that his teen mind might have been quick to make such a big decision. 

Was he developing schizophrenia that was tied to the creation of the Horcruxes? In some ancient Russian cultures there had been experiments on the effects of molding your own soul into different shapes. Nothing good has ever come to the human mind when the soul was tampered with. More records of mental illnesses and hallucinations. 

Essentially all he found were records on how the negatives outweigh the positives of the transaction involved in making Horcruxes. Even more if you made more than one or two. Even then Voldemort didn’t want to acknowledge his mistakes fully, this feeling he felt every now and then must be something else. 

He had made the right decision. 

There was no other way. Horcruxes hadn’t been a mistake. No one could imagine defeating him and he was as powerful as he had ever been. 

The feeling returned then with the thought accompanied by cold chills running down on Voldemort's back.

  
  


Then finally came the day when his loyal Potion Master came to tell him the news of the prophecy and the boy said to be the end of him. It was a feeling of dread he hadn't felt in a moment. 

Maybe this child was the reason for the odd feelings. It was his destruction knocking - well there was no way that was happening. Getting rid of the child as soon as possible was necessary. He then dismissed Snape as soon as he could, yet the man stayed to beg him to keep some muggle alive. Inside he was seething, but he knew he couldn’t let his faithful follower go without even the inkling of a promise. 

Handing the man the empty promise he would keep the muggle woman alive Snape finally left.

Love - a foolish emotion that made wizards and men go crazy and lose their basic reasoning. It was truly mind boggling to Voldemort how others could handle the burden of carrying your emotions with you. 

Sending his followers out to find the location of the two families that match the description entailed in the prophecy was a simple task. When the news arrived the Potters were hiding under a fidelius charm made by Dumbledore it enraged the Dark Lord, sending a few of his followers in bed rest. 

_Find out who the secret keeper is and bring him to me!,_ he yelled out in his anger. Dismissing that meeting effectively. His long fingernails tapped the arm rest on his chair in annoyance. Petergrew had informed him that he didn’t know who the secret keeper was and that the Potters weren’t giving out the information to anyone, not even him. 

Longbottom needed to be dealt with as well, yet something in his gut turned him towards Potter. The prophecy was of Potter - yet he could’ve made a mistake. No, but there couldn’t be any loose ends. 

Then that was the day when he decided to visit the safe house in which Longbottom resided in personally. There was a chance that his followers would leave the job unfinished, some of them truly were incompetent fools. 

Pulling his hood over his head he headed out of the Death Eater base. Apparating brought him in front of the Longbottom residence. It was a shame Dumbledore hadn’t thought to reach out his help to these people as well. Instead they had been left with shabby protections and medium grade wards. 

It didn’t take more than a few days for Voldemorts followers to locate the Longbottoms. With a lazy flick of his hand he tore down the wards, alerting the people inside of his presence. 

Feeling the urgency and fear fill the house he felt his senses go wild. The hunt was what he enjoyed, but teasing his prey before digging in was part of the joy. Oh, how he cherished it. Knowing you would effectively take out someones life, while seeing the dread spread on their face.

It was a thrill like no other. 

Walking towards the door he blasted the door out of it’s seams and walked into the house. There he was met with man, Frank Longbottom wasn’t it. Skilled Auror, truly a pesky problem to his Death Eaters. 

The man shot a curse then right at him, without even an introduction. A straightforward man, Voldemort observed and then easily dismissed the curse away from him and towards the Auror. As Frank tried to dodge the curse, he once more shot new curses and jinxes towards the Dark Lord. 

As the two dueled it was apparent that the Auror was on the losing side, yet Voldemort noticed he was only buying time. Cutting the play to its final act, he sent a swift avada kedavra towards the man. Hitting it’s mark he watched as the life quickly left the man’s body. 

Not losing a moment he strode towards the next source of magic. It was easy to locate as it was accompanied by the cry of a baby. 

When he was at the door to the room from which the sound was coming from, he felt the approach of multiple magical signatures. It would seem the Order of the Phoenix had arrived at the scene. 

Knowing there wasn’t much more time left, he opened the door and was greeted with the sight of Alice Longbottom holding her baby in her arms. She was holding her wand in her other hand which then was pointed straight at the incoming Dark Lord. 

Amusing, she was going to make her last stand. Voldemort was slightly keen on seeing how her last attempt to save her from her doom was about to come down but it wasn’t happening. ‘’Hand the baby over now and save your own life,’’ he stated. 

As she was about to answer with a counter he quickly shot her with the cruciatus curse. Alice graddled her baby close to her body, protecting Neville from getting hit by the terrible curse. As it hit her back she felt as if her body was on fire. 

The sound of her screams filled the room and Voldemort approached her and grabbed the baby from her arms easily as he kept up the curse. Staring at the baby he noticed how truly weak it was. How could this infant be his doom and end. 

Before he could finish the incantation of the killing curse he heard a yell from the doorway. Turning around he was met with a red haired woman. It seems the whole Order was informed of the wards going down, if Lily Potter was here as well. 

Excitement filled Voldemort's body. It was like swatting two flies at the same time, he could capture Lily Potter and use her as a ransom for her child. ‘’Let him go!’’ she yelled out and then was about to throw out a curse but faltered. 

Voldemort smirked, ‘’now if you shoot me, you will hurt him.’’ With that statement he cradled the baby in his arms firmer. 

This child was irrelevant when compared to the Potter child. The anger on Lily’s face was fantastic, ‘’I will let him go… if you go with me.’’ 

‘’So you could torture me for answers?’’ Lily accused the man spitefully. 

Voldemort chuckled, she was smart. ‘’Indeed, now we don’t have a lot of time. Is it you or the life of this child?’’ 

Without a moment's pause Lily nodded. ‘’Take me.’’ 

Willingness to sacrifice self for others benefit. It was a wondrous thing, foolish but wonderful. Then with that agreement Voldemort let go of the cruciatus that was holding Alice immobilized and dropped the child close to her. 

‘’Keep your rotten child,’’ he spit out but as he let go of the baby he noticed the familiar gleam of green from the corner of his eye. It was Lily Potter shooting a killing curse at him, but it was an easy dodge as she hadn’t been experienced in casting the curse. 

Yet, the momentary realisation he had been close to being to death had his blood run cold. Scratch taking her captive. Killing her would send a good message to anyone trying to kill him in the future. His mouth opened and his wand pointed at the pesky red head and started saying the incantation, ‘’Avada Ke-’’

**No** , was all Voldemort could hear before his surroundings were filled with darkness. His body felt like it was being pulled in all directions at the same time. It was an exruciating amount of pain that even the worst of torture curses couldn’t replicate. 

Had the Light witch done something? No, this was dark magic for certain if it was anything. His thoughts were cut short as the pain stopped abruptly. His body still ached extremely and he fell on the ground. Completely exhausted. 

**Foolish human, I’ve watched when you’ve misguidedly torn your soul apart and now your were about to attempt suicide** , a voice echoed in the void of darkness he was now in. Trying to identify the owner of the voice was impossible as it was the mix of multiple different sounds. Voldemort then searched for the owner of the said voice but to no avail. Whoever it was not showing themselves. 

‘’Watched me? Absurd,’’ he remarked and stood up from his weakened stance. It was ridiculous to think there was someone who had been watching him for the longest time. 

There was a deep laughter before the voice continued.  **Yes, that defiant attitude with poise and elegance is what made me interested in you. Even if you are now only defiant** , the voice said amused. The end of their remarked angered Voldemort, how dare they insult him. 

‘’You are making claims but nothing to back them up. Who are you to judge when you hide your face!’’ he spat in anger and rage. The hiding game was getting old and frankly insulting. Then he saw the void of darkness start to shape near him. It was almost as if a mixture of smoke and slime that formed the creature that was now standing before him. 

It’s face was a bony white which contrasted with the body which seemed to be something close to hot tar. Even the bony face had holes that were leaking the odd substance,  **I am what you know as Death** . 

Voldemort pulse rose up quickly when he realised the aura this creature carried. This was his greatest fear right in front of him - personified. Swallowing slowly he straightened himself up, showing his fear was a weakness he couldn’t allow himself. 

**Fear, the only emotion you have left to feel after your soul was torn to so many pieces** , Death noted, quite sadly at that, to Voldemort. 

Then it hit him. Death had been observing him all his life. Whenever he had created a horcrux it was accompanied by a feeling something was watching him. In the end all the time it had been Death itself. ‘’You said I was about to suicide, but that’s ridiculous!’’ he growled through his teeth.

Death sighed, it was weird to see such a being let out a sigh. Then the creature formed an arm and reached out to Voldemort with it. Attempting to take a step back in fear and caution he was instantly stopped, as the same kind of tendrils had grabbed him by his feet and were keeping him still. 

**I cannot bear a conversation with you until you are whole** , Death said simply and the arm encompassed the whole of Voldemort’s face. 

First it was cold as he struggled out of the grasp but he was stopped when he felt something being pulled towards him. Wait, it wasn’t only one thing a lot of things were being pulled towards him. Finally one of them arrived and he felt it almost as if entering him. That was followed by all the emotion and pain, it was as if he was in anguish. 

No, he was sad. 

Confusion hit his mind. Not knowing how to process these emotions, but more flooded in. One by one more and more pain entered his body. Then they were followed by memories. It was chilling and felt like he was a void anymore for a moment. 

And then he realised what he was feeling, it was death. It was the feeling others had felt when he had killed them. It was their grievances and sadness he was feeling. It was impossible to process it all at once so his mind started to shut down, but all of a sudden it all was wiped clean. 

Then he felt his legs being freed from their capture and so was his face freed from the arm. His body went limp as it was still in complete shock over what had just happened. It was as he was given a blank slate. 

**Now your soul is whole again, I did speed up the process a bit** , Death explained simply and Voldemort heaved many deep breaths in quick succession. 

Then a realisation hit him, there was more magic in his core than there had been in many years. It was as he was in his early adulthood once more. His core was overflowing that it almost felt like it was about to shatter. Had this entity just united his Horcruxes into one?

Then… all those years of work and making sure they were secured were wasted just like that. Anger seeped into his mind yet it didn’t overpower his mind and body as it would’ve had earlier, he realised. This time he was in control and not his anger and hatred. 

‘’Why did you do this?’’ he asked simply, being certain Death had an explanation for why he was doing all of this. 

**I was bored. Then I saw you, a human willing to even destroy your very being to just avoid ever meeting me. It was amusing to watch your struggles, therefore I was willing to change to ties of Fate to keep you alive longer** , Death explained. 

Voldemort felt his stomach drop at that explanation. All he had tried to keep away from the being had just lead him straight to it’s attention. ‘’You didn’t answer my earlier question, suicide?’’ 

Death closed upon Voldemorts face.  **If you had killed Lily Potter you yourself would’ve died as well. It was simply meant to be. That woman would’ve led to one piece of your soul dying. **

Voldemort scrunched his eyebrows in confusion. Trying to find what was so special about the woman that made her so inevitable. Again he could feel the being sigh,  **it doesn’t mean anything to me if you don’t trust my words. But your promise to your Potion Master was the reason for your doom. Those words were being watched by Magic and if you were to defy them as you were about to in the Longbottom residence, your spell would’ve rebounded leading to your momentary demise** . 

‘’I would’ve come back alive once more nevertheless. Even if it pains me to admit my mistake, that wouldn’t have been the end of me,’’ Voldemort then argued. 

**Perhaps, but that event would’ve started the chain of events which lead to your ultimate demise. Through all the timelines and different futures, it is a fact. You were losing** , Death explained once more and this time Voldemort heeded the words. 

There was no reason for Death to lie to him, what would an eternal being benefit from such blatant lies. ‘’Why am I here now then?’’ 

Now the creature smiled. It was creepy and put Voldemort off guard greatly.  **I am giving you another chance but I have terms you must follow, as I need to be entertained for more years** . 

‘’And if I do not comply?’’ Voldemort asked, being extremely vulnerable with all of his safe measures now in one piece. 

**I will send you to the afterlife personally** , Death stated simply with a weird head tilt. The bony mask was now so close to Voldemort’s face the threat really did sink into him. At the same time he realised there was no threat, this was all a planned move. 

There were no two options for him. Only option was to go with the whim of a God. ‘’What are the terms?’’ 

**No new Horcruxes or tampering with your soul, though you may find other ways to immortality. Second you will be born into a new body, so it’s a true new beginning** , Death said with the same echoing voice as he had the whole time. 

The part about Horcruxes did annoy him, but him saying he was able to look for other alternatives was a hint towards that there were other ways to live forever. ‘’A new body? What will happen to my current magic?’’ 

**I will transfer all your magic that you have now to your new body. But you won’t have access to it immediately, as it will still be growing** , Death answered. 

‘’I’ll only have full access when I’m of age?’’ Voldemort asked, annoyed of the limitation. Seventeen years was a long time to be waiting after all. 

**Of course not, you will be able to control your own core. I will bestow that power upon you as you are now an anomaly. I will insert the knowledge into your mind during the transfer process** , Death explained as it was simple and something that should’ve gone without saying. 

Voldemort’s face dropped a bit, but he corrected it quickly.  **Now are you ready for me to send you back on Earth?**

‘’Wait, can you tell me what the other means immortality are? I’m sure me dying would bring you boredom once more, wouldn’t it be beneficial for you to aid me in this,’’ Voldemort suggested sheepishly. 

**Aid you? I have already saved you from the clutches of eternal damnation yet you try to bargain with me for you benefit?** Death accused and Voldemort took a slight step back at the powerful waves of aura swooning at him. Then the being chuckled,  **very well I’ll hand you a hint on your journey. I once gifted three items on Earth, find them and you will attain the power you seek** .

Before he could ask more Voldemort fell through the void and soon the being was out of his vision. Feeling himself as if lose consciousness he felt his mind tugged towards another source. When he finally he came to be there was a pain accompanied with opening his eyelids. 

He was on the ground contrary to the nursery he was expecting to find himself in. Thankfully he wasn’t going to have to go through the process of being an infant. Looking at his body he finally realised the source of his pain. Both of his legs showed extreme cuts and damage while on his side was a pike coming through it. 

_ I’m stuck on a fence,  _ was the realisation he came to. Looking up, he saw a building right near him. Had this child jumped down from there in an attempt to die? No, there was something else going over here. 

What he knew at least was that this child had died here being stuck on the spike and ran out of blood. Now, his best choice of action was probably waiting for someone to come through here and notice him. Removing the spike was impossible, as it would lead to further blood loss and make the pain so much worse. 

Silently he cursed Death for dropping him at the worst possible place. 

Finally he heard screams coming from his side. There were a group of kids, three boys and one girl that had come close to him. All of their clothing was quite worn and obviously not their size. Now the girl screamed which seemed to pull the boys out of their daze. 

‘’Thomas, I’m sorry I didn’t mean to… I mean,’’ one of the boys stuttered, this one being smaller than the others. 

Then after the larger one spoke, probably the leader of the group. ‘’Jack go get the Matron here now!’’ he yelled out and the smaller boy started running away from them and along the road. 

Now Voldemort felt himself relax a bit, there was some sort of help coming his way, but it was in the form of the people that got him in trouble in the first place. ‘’Oh god it looks bad… shouldn’t we just, you know, leave him there..?’’ the third boy said cautiously. 

‘’What?! No! What are you even thinking Greg, that’s horrible,’’ the girl screeched out in horror. Then the girl rushed to his side, shocking him a bit as the scene was quite gruesome. ‘’Hey Thomas, we are getting you help right now! Just… hang in there alright?’’ 

Then as the girl was about to touch him, he quickly swiped the arm away. Causing himself pain he seethed yet growled out a sentence, ‘’don’t touch me you filthy-’’ his sentence was cut short as he had lost his center of balance on the fence and was adjusting his body back in a stable stance. 

_ Merlin it hurts _ , at that moment he was sure Death was fully entertained. 

‘’Don’t talk or don’t move.. I’m sure you are angry with us but none of us meant it to get this bad…’’ the girl said silently. 

‘’Jess don’t try, he won’t be listening anyways. Thomas has always been a freak, he must be loving this even right now!’’ the tallest of the boys barked out in amusement. 

If he could only cast his magic at that moment he would’ve made the boy feel pain he could only imagine in his wildest dreams. Sadly at the moment he was occupied in keeping himself alive to see another day. 

As the children kept bickering around him Voldemort kept his thoughts firmly on cursing Death on abandoning him in this hell. The alarm of eternal death seeping towards him at an alarming rate with a group of muggle children panicking and arguing next to him. It almost felt the pain was the least of his problems. 

In the end, somehow he managed to keep his cool through the time that it took for the kid named Jack to get an adult on the scene who then called an ambulance for him. They decided to cut down the spike instead of pulling him off of it, which he was glad for. At least muggle medicine had advanced to a degree in which he wasn’t scared of losing his life. 

As he finally arrived at the hospital they instantly rushed him to surgery where he was then put to sleep. During his slumber he saw dreams, not about him, but of the boy whose body this was before. 

When he had been four his parents had been killed in a car accident so he had been handed off to child protective services who placed him in an orphanage, waiting to be adopted. It also seemed that time had passed quite rapidly in the world as the boy had been born the year after he had went to the Longbottom household and met Death. 

Apparently the child's - Thomas’ - father had been a muggle and the mother a pureblood. So, he had seen magic in his early years but after locating in the middle of muggles he was hit with mockery and bullying for his so called delusions. 

In the end the bullying had escalated to the scene he was greeted with. As the group of kids had picked on Thomas they had pressured him to jump off a roof of a building to showcase his ‘magic’. One more magical child lost to Muggles and their irrational fear of not understanding the unknown. 

Which irritated him the most was that he was stuck with the same name once more. 

  
  


He had to spend a week in the hospital as his condition had to be monitored. The rate of muggle of curing by medicine was so extremely slow, at least as he had gotten used to the wizard way of just growing bones in the same time as he had spent there laying. 

The most entertainment he got was when the Orphanage staff was arguing with the doctors about the cost of bills and ways they could get out of there cheaper. At that point Tom had gotten used to being addressed as Thomas or Tom, even though it was irritating. But it wasn’t as if he could be addressed as Voldemort. 

During his downtime he spent his time scavenging for his magical core and stretching it out. A day before he was released from the hospital he had reached the maximum he was able to expand the core for now. It was still a far cry from what it had been, yet it was far larger than it ever had been in his youth. Maybe, this rebirth was a blessing in disguise. 

Turning sour, he realised it was nothing more of a curse. Struggling through a muggle orphanage once was bad but again, it wasn’t something he was excited for. Nevertheless he only needed to stay there until his Hogwarts letter arrived. Thomas was born on the 25th of June in 1981, so currently he was six years old. Only five more years until he was eligible for Hogwarts. It was the end of fall so even less than that, still five years in a run down orphanage wasn’t his ideal situation. 

There would need to be changes to his plans, as there was no chance he was about to just sit still for five years until he needed to spend years in Hogwarts. It was also an option to skip the school fully and just start on gathering his followers once more. But his magical core not being developed fully was a problem and before this body had matured at least a bit, he was stuck waiting. 

He wanted revenge on the Order, but of more importance was bringing stability to Magical Britain. Who knows how much damage had Dumbledore done in the seven years he had been away. 

When they arrived at the orphanage, he went straight to his room and to lay down on his bed as he was still ordered to bed rest. It made sense as even basic movement caused a huge amount of pain around his stomach. Thankfully the spike had missed the vital organs, it seems that Thomas had just died of blood loss, as he had to be given many bags of blood at the hospital. Faintly wobbling to his bed Tom layed down and looked through the room. 

It was a one person room, which was odd as he walked by a lot of paired rooms. Then the woman who was escorting him spoke. ‘’We moved your belongings here, as we thought you may want to stay away from your roommate Jack…’’ she explained simply. It made sense, yet they had just given him a luxury others didn’t have. 

‘’I see,’’ was the simple reply he gave her. It had already been noticed by the staff that the Thomas they knew was acting different, but from the conversations Tom had overheard, they had mostly put it up to the traumatic event. 

In reality Tom couldn’t see any reason to interact with the aids and staff more than he needed to. As he wasn’t going to be seeing them after he turned eleven. 

A waste of time, the whole lot of it. 

  
  


Once more weeks passed and he finally felt recovered enough to get out of bed rest. Even the visitation to the doctor confirmed he was recovering at an incredibly fast speed, putting it up to his youth. In reality it was thanks to his possession of magic. 

During the weeks he had been reading up on a lot of what had happened in the world in the past seven years, but the muggle media wasn’t given him much of an answer. Even if the news was entertaining speckle in his mundane life, they didn’t bring much information on what has really been happening. It was as if he was in a bubble once again, isolated from the world he cherished. 

Those days did help him sort out his mind and the different memories and emotions that accompanied having his soul in one piece once more after multiple years. As it had been terrifying to acknowledge his current mortality it had brought to his attention how weak he had really been after his first horcrux. There had been a lot of impulsive and rage filled decisions he had made during the war that had not reflected the way he had imagined his reign to be. 

His mind hadn’t been able to see the multitudes that had been around him. The single mindedness towards getting the prophecy child killed was a mark of this, in his haste he had walked straight into a trap. The Order had been alarmed the instant he had pranced in the house. 

Foolish, that’s what he had been. 

His whole psychology had gone downhill, not to mention his appearance. The snaky appearance worked well to scare and draw a line between him and others. Nevertheless it was problematic as he couldn't participate in politics or gather a following in public.

Winning the favor of the populace after winning the war would've been a complete struggle. In the end it wouldn't have been a stable reign. It was as if his mind hand been blurred at the time and now the smoke was gone and his vision was clear. 

The past happened and now he had a new chance, if you could call it that. Sitting at the side of his bed in an orphanage in a six year old body it truly didn’t feel like a blessing. He was able to do simplistic wandless magic with ease already. 

Getting up from the bed he headed down to get something to eat. The orphanage consists of three floors and his room was on the third floor, which had most of the childrens rooms in it. The kitchen and dining room was on the first floor. He slowly walked down the stairs to get to the dining room, as it was supper time. 

The food was bland as expected, only containing the needed nutrients. The group of kids who had gotten him to his predicament now we're leaving him alone at least. Yet, there were multiple whispers going around how he had managed to get himself stabbed. Some were saying it was voluntary and the group was trying to stop him. It was all foolish childish rumors. 

His priority now was visiting Gringotts, but first he needed to get to Diagon Alley. Thankfully the orphanage was in London. It would still be quite the jog to get to the Alley. What was more bothersome the newspapers had made a huge thing about his miraculous survival. Muggles latched onto the little things and now it was the survival of a six year old delusional child. 

Indeed, the focus of the articles had been on why he had jumped. Nay, they hadn’t listened to his side of the side but rather on the group of children statements. How he had thoughts about how he could fly and believed magic would save him from his inevitable doom. The muggle media had fun spinning those stories, tying them to the tragic passing of his parents. 

Going out on the streets would be needed to be pushed until the media forgot about him. As everyone would recognize him and so sneaking to a shady pub in an alley was near impossible. Stabbing his food quite angrily Tom tried to keep his calm. It didn’t matter what everyone thought about him, but delusional suicidal child wasn’t the first one he wanted to be. 

There were even talk with the matrons that he would be sent to talk to a psychologist. A waste of time. 

Then as if summoned one of the orphanage workers, namely the secretary walked up to him. ‘’Thomas, I would like you to come to my office after you are done eating,’’ she said with a monotonous voice. 

Tom nodded showing his understanding. So, this is when he would be sent to the mental asylum. It hadn’t happened in his initial life but what kind of shitshow he had entered when waking up it wouldn’t be a surprise. 

The secretary then left, without informing him why it was she wanted to see him. Quickly finishing his meal he got up to take the dishes to the collection bin and started walking towards the office. 

Arriving at the door he was thinking of what was waiting behind that door. If it was a doctor he would just run away and start living on his own. Maybe he could steal supplies from Diagon Alley and make an aging potion that would last longer than normal, yet the after effects were quite gruesome. Making his growing go through that stress of growing and shrinking often would be taxing and could end up making his growth stop completely. 

Sighing he opened the door instead of wondering more about the future. He would act when needed. It was simple as that. 

What waited behind the door genuinely shocked him. It was the secretary sitting behind her desk and then three people waiting on the other side. 

A red head woman and her husband, ‘’oh you must be Thomas! We have heard a lot about you.’’ The wife greeted him and stood up from her chair, next to her was a child, about the same age as him. 

Initially there was anger. This woman was Lily Potter, the reason for his current placement. Forcing his face to stay neutral at the sight of the woman he bit his lip, ‘’yes, that is me.’’ 


	2. Chapter 2

The child started reaching at him but when Tom glared at him he quickly went behind Lily. So, that is Harry Potter. ‘’Thomas, please take a seat here,’’ the secretary announced and waved towards the empty chair next to the one that James was sitting on. Slowly Tom took the chair while being slightly guarded towards the couple. 

Right now he could get rid of them. It would be easy, even the thought of their screams made his body hymn with pleasure. ‘’Thomas, this here is Lily Potter and James Potter and their child Harry. This nice couple here is interested in adopting you.’’

Staring at the secretary was the only response he could come up with. This was a joke, it must be. 

No way a well known Light wizard couple, was here to adopt him. Did they know who he was? What brought them here, if they didn’t. Was this all just a coincidence. 

‘’I know this comes quite quickly but we heard your story from the papers and knew something pulled us towards you,’’ Lily explained with a sickeningly sweet smile. ‘’We are unable to conceive another child so we have looked into adoption and then as if it was meant to be we heard about you.’’ 

Tom was still silent. It was almost it was all orchestrated. Not almost, it was. Death had to have a hand in all of this. Inside he cursed the eternal being once more as he turned to look at the Potters. ‘’I don’t understand, why me?’’ he asked, knowing in the papers all they knew he was delusional. Was the Potters only wanting to help a lost magical child? It was possible, they could only have good intentions behind their actions. 

This time it was James that spoke, ‘’we know you are special. We think you deserve more than a life growing up without being loved.’’

Love, it was the light propaganda once more. ‘’We have been having the proper procedure that comes to adoption going for a week already. While you were recovering we were having interviews to see if they were going to be good parents and we have come to the conclusion that the Potter’s would be fantastic parents for you Thomas. Only thing needed is for us to sign the papers.’’ 

Tom furrowed his brows a bit. Usually the adopting parents meet the child before coming this far in the process. ‘’Why am I only hearing about this now?’’ he asked in all seriousity. The secretary was quite taken aback as usually the children getting adopted were quite ecstatic, yet it wasn’t odd for Thomas to be quite wary. 

‘’Because of your incident we saw it to be the best to wait until you have completely recovered to not bring you any further stress. Which brings me to the fact that Potters have paid for all of your hospital bills, as well as making a sizable donation to the orphanage,’’ the secretary explained with quite a bit of admiration. 

Ah, so the reason they had advanced so quickly with this was through money. His initial instinct was telling him to just disappear here and now and not subject himself to the torture that was living with Potters. 

They see him as an innocent child thrown out in to the world, without an idea he was Voldemort the being they tried to defeat only a few years ago. Ah, he wanted to laugh. If his mind couldn’t take it he would just get out of there. ‘’I see… Then how is this going to work?’’ he asked, this time his tone more hopeful and cheery. 

The reaction was imminent as Lily seemed to brighten up and James smiled softly. The secretary then continued, ‘’Mr and Ms Potter will now sign the adoption papers and you will be going home with them today. Would you like that Thomas?’’ 

No, this all sounds like a horrible curse. ‘’That would be amazing!’’ Tom stated cheerily. Thankfully he was good at masking his true emotions under a mask. There was no way the Potters were able to see under it. 

‘’I shall go get the paperwork ready then, if you’ll excuse me. Please, do get acquainted,’’ the secretary then excused herself out of the room. 

Then almost instantly Lily stood up and walked to Tom and kneeled in front of him. Her green eyes felt like she was staring straight into his soul. ‘’I’m happy you are agreeing to come and join our family Thomas,’’ Lily started. Tom really did just want to run away or at least make some room between her and him. ‘’Our family is special you see and we know you are not crazy or delusional like those news articles say. You are magical Thomas.’’ 

Tom swallowed and took a deep breath. ‘’I remember my parents using magic when I was a child, but lately I’ve been thinking it was all something I made up,’’ he said weakly. 

‘’Oh dear, you didn’t make it up. I’m going to explain it all when we get to our house,’’ she said and pulled Thomas in a hug. 

He instantly froze up, not really knowing any other reaction than to push her away. When he had her away from him, his expression was bleak and very neutral. ‘’Oh, I’m sorry. I must’ve been too rash,’’ Lily said very hastily when she was pushed off. 

‘’Lily, please understand Thomas has been through a lot,’’ James said, trying to keep his wife from feeling too upset about what had happened. 

‘’I prefer to be called Tom,’’ Tom stated when he got himself together once more. This bitch had just tried to hug him. It irritated him to no avail and it took everything he had not to unleash his magic and bash their heads against the wall. 

James laughed a bit at that comment. ‘’I see, then I shall be calling you Tom from now on,’’ he answered with a friendly tone. 

Then Lily stood up and Tom followed her with his eyes, ‘’happy to have you with us Tom!’’ 

After the secretary entered the room with the paperwork and the Potters signed it quite eagerly. While they were still chatting about the adoption and how it proceeded from there on, Tom’s thoughts drifted away. Since when had Lily Potter been unable to conceive a child, had something happened after he had died. Because obviously Harry had been born without a problem.

Nevertheless it had made this situation come to life. 

Afterwards when everything was done Tom led the family back to his room to pick up his belongings, the few there were. None of them had any real meaning to him, but instead to Thomas. Even if he hated the name Tom for it’s common use, he wasn’t going to be Thomas as he wasn’t the kid that had this body before him. 

That was the slight amount of respect he was going to give the person that passed on. Looking around the room he really didn’t want to take any of his stuff with him, yet keeping up the facade required for him to take some stuff with him. Picking up the backpack he had lying around he threw a few books and pieces of clothing in there. 

Telling the Potters then he was ready to go they hesitated for a moment, insisting if he wanted he could take more time to say goodbye. Tom then insistent he didn’t need to do that, as the place didn’t have so many good memories to him. That answer stopped the Potters from pushing further, as they didn’t want to arouse any bad memories. 

When they walked outside of the Orphanage they walked towards the street and to an alley. Tom already knowing they were looking for a place to either apparate or portkey from, wasn’t confused but asked nevertheless, ‘’how are we going to get to your house?’’ 

‘’We are going to be using a bit more of a swift method, our house is quite far away you see,’’ James explained and then he stopped signaling to Lily that this spot was good enough. Tom stopped along with them and watched as Lily took a pen from her pocket. 

Lily then looked at her watch, ‘’just on time, it’s going to be activating in five minutes!’’ 

James nodded and grabbed hold of Harry’s hand. ‘’What is going on?’’ Tom asked innocently, it already was exhausting pretending to be clueless. In the future he needed to find a way to explain why he was learning things faster than other children. 

‘’Tom I’m going to need you to take a hold of my hand, is that alright with you?’’ Lily asked and reached out her hand to Tom. 

Tom then nodded and took a hold of the arm. He needed to hold firmly as he knew how unstable some portkeys were, if he could he would apparete on his own. The Potters should still be living in Godric’s Hollow. Then Lily handed the pen to James and took a hold of Harry’s hand so no one would be left out. After waiting a moment and glancing at their clocks for a moment, James broke the silence.

‘’Now you are going to be feeling a bit of a pulling sensation, don’t be shocked,’’ James said with a bit of a playful tone. Then as if on que the portkey activated and pulled them through the fabric of space. When they landed Tom managed just and just land on his feet as he still wasn’t used his new body. 

Lily then released his hand when she saw he was fine after landing. Looking around Tom couldn’t see a house in front of where they had landed, instead there was an empty lot before them. As if noticing the confusion on his face Lily smiled, ‘’you must be quite shocked to be transported to a new place so suddenly. What we just used was a portkey! It is used by wizards and witches to travel faster.’’ 

‘’That is a bit shocking indeed,’’ Tom just stated, not really having much energy anymore. His confusion grew as seemingly James and Harry had disappeared from their side. Then Lily handed him a note. 

‘’Read it and think about the address stated deeply,’’ Lily said. Tom took the note and read the address stated on it. Suddenly a house appeared before him, as if it were growing from the ground. 

Then it clicked, the Potters were still living under a fidelius charm. Also now he was permitted in, once more it seemed like everything was handed to him on a silver platter. He hadn’t been around for seven years now, there was no way they were still afraid of Voldemort coming back. It was a reasonable fear as he wasn’t gone, but what had gone on from their perspective. 

‘’Quite surprising too I assume, your life will be full of magic like this my dear,’’ Lily said with a smile. It had been a while since Tom had read the joke so maybe she assumed he had been frozen by the surprise. 

Tom coughed a bit, ‘’yeah, I need to just get used to it.’’ 

Then he followed Lily inside the house and were greeted by James and Harry inside. It was quite a modest house for someone that was the Lord of such of a wealthy house. Tom noticed in the kitchen there were even some muggle appliances. Truly an odd pureblood or maybe it was because of the influence of Lily Potter. 

Nevertheless it was odd, ‘’James will you show Tom his room and then come back down afterwards so we can eat dinner?’’

‘’Yes, of course. Follow me Tom,’’ James answered quite politely and signaled Tom to follow him. Tom nodded curtly to his adoptive father and followed behind the man. They headed to the second floor where his room was located, it was quite snug and nothing special. 

A typical child’s room honestly. ‘’I hope you like it, we can personalise it as time goes to fit your interest more,’’ James said warily. It was obvious the man was scared that Tom would be disappointed with what he was given. 

‘’It’s good, I like it,’’ Tom said simply. Maybe he should be giving the two more responses, but for now there was no issue as they had wanted him so passionately to be adopted into their family. Afterwards James excused himself and told Tom to get settled and head downstairs in a few minutes. 

Tom was happy that the man seemed to be less intrusive as his wife. When he heard James walking down the stairs he burst out laughing. 

He - A Dark Lord - was just adopted to a family of light wizards. Not even any light family, the family who he was trying to murder. 

Then he realised he was now Tom Potter. That was something he never imagined hearing out loud. It was absolutely something he saw nightmares of, thinking back on Dorea who married Charlus Potter. It was something he never understood as Dorea was such a brilliant witch. 

Finally calming himself down he sighed and rubbed his face for a bit. This was his reality now, but it was a good challenge. Dumbledore wouldn’t even guess that the Dark Lord was hiding under his most loyal followers roof. 

Now there was one more issue with his life, Potters had his guardianship. Well, it was only until he turned seventeen, so he would need to lay low until then. So, with his magical core growing and adjusting, it meant basically no changes in his plans. Before he could start another war, he needed to be in full power. 

There was a chance he could be able to do it even without a war in the first place. There needed to be some improvements to be made to his original plans. First, he would use the Potters to his benefit and that was it. Use them, then throw them away when they weren’t needed anymore. 

The biggest threat was Harry, the prophecy child. The one made to destroy him, now he was his adopted brother basically. Amusing indeed.

After preparing himself once again he headed downstairs and joined the Potter family in the dining room. Instantly he noticed there was way more food than a normal dinner would have. The table was filled to the brim with different dishes. 

‘’Ah Tom!’’ Lily greeted him as she noticed him in the doorway. ‘’I really didn’t know what you liked so I prepared a lot of everything. I’m sure this will be lasting us quite some time but we can just give the leftovers to our friends…’’

‘’Lily dear, it’s fine. I’m sure Tom will love the work you put in,’’ James stated calmly. Tom nodded and noticed Harry was kind of glaring at him. 

‘’Thank you for the thought, I just never seen so much food,’’ Tom stated and took the empty seat next to Harry. It was a four person table, so opposite him was sitting James with Lily next to him. 

There was a light that lit up in Lily’s eyes at Toms response. ‘’Now that everyone is here, dig in!’’ James announced and started putting mashed potatoes on his plate. Lily seemed upset at this behaviour yet didn’t comment as there was a new person in the house. 

Harry then too started taking some of the food on the plate and Tom followed afterwards. ‘’So does everyone’s house appear out of nowhere like that?’’ Tom asked, starting a conversation. As he was interested in the reason why they were living like this. 

After he had asked that it seemed like the two adults froze for a bit. ‘’No Tom, our house is a bit special,’’ Lily stated simply. Even Harry seemed to be more tense now, was that anger Tom noticed.

‘’Special?’’ Tom asked further, ignoring the apparent taboo subject. 

James then spoke, ‘’we will talk about that later when we have explained more about magic to you.’’ Was the simple answer given, but Lily seemed to be quite uncomfortable with that. 

‘’James he is going to continue living here so he needs to understand why we can’t go outside whenever we please,’’ Lily argued and James frowned. 

Tom inside was very happy he had caused this turmoil in his hosts, ‘’I’m sorry if I overstepped my boundaries.’’ That line then mae Lily’s face drop in desperation towards her husband, who then in answer sighed. 

‘’No it’s fine, it’s just that our family is in a special position, even in the wizarding community,’’ James said grimly. ‘’You see Tom, during the time Harry was born there was a war going on in the wizard community. A Dark Wizard who-must-not-be-named was doing bad things and hurting a lot of people and causing terror at every turn.’’

Tom took a bite of his food while listening to the story he already knew. It was literally about him after all. ‘’Then there was a prophecy that there would be a child born that would have the power to oppose the Dark Lord and that was when Harry was born exactly fitting the description of the prophecy.’’ 

Tom then turned to look at Harry who seemed quite grim and serious, also a bit proud of himself. Quickly he looked away as it was just childish behaviour, ‘’but there was another child as well that fit the description of the prophecy. It was our friends, the Longbottoms child. We decided to hide our house by a powerful charm and only one person could tell the location of the house. We decided to bestow this power upon Frank Longbottom, the other child’s father.’’

A moment of clarity shone upon Tom’s mind. He had killed the secret keeper unknowingly, but that meant that everyone who knew the secret became the new secret keepers. This didn’t explain their current situation. 

‘’We still do not know if the Dark Lord found out who was our secret keeper or was targeting the Longbottom family, nevertheless the Longbottom residence was attacked one day. Sadly Frank lost his life that day. Lily here managed to stop the Dark Lord from taking Alice Longbottom’s and her child's life,’’ James then stopped talking and kept staring at Lily, there was an odd sense of sadness in his eyes. 

Tom then turned his eyes to Lily as she was about to continue the story. This was the point he knew what had happened, afterwards was going to be new information. ‘’I remember him about to shoot the killing curse towards me. Tom, that curse is something no man should use, it is something that will take the others life without question.’’

She paused then waiting for Tom to acknowledge this warning. After a moment Tom nodded, even if the woman was being very hypocritical. This was coming from someone that was about to use the same spell towards him. ‘’Then, before he could finish the incantation he suddenly got pulled out by a dark slime. It was as if his body was pulled into the ground. To this day I have never seen anything like it. After his body was gone all that was left on the ground was the black substance.’’ 

Tom followed the story keenly. It seems it was the same sort of substance that Death was formed from. ‘’I then approached the substance as it seemed odd and it was as if it was drawing me closer to it… I touched it and I think that was one of the worst mistakes I’ve made. I felt it enter my every pore and then my memory ends. Next thing I knew I woke up in Saint Mungos, it’s a wizarding hospital here in England.’’

James coughed, ‘’we never saw the slime she was talking about and there was only a charred stain on the ground. I took you to the hospital quickly as I could then and somehow most of your organs had failed and were now rotting. Thankfully the hospital staff was able to reverse the effects quickly, it was a blessing it hadn’t spread to your heart or lungs.’’

‘’I still have pain from time to time and need some days to rest, but only effect this had on me was my productive organs stopped producing fertile eggs, so I cannot get pregnant anymore,’’ Lily ended the story, at least on her side. 

Tom frowned, it did explain a few questions he had yet they weren’t getting to the original question. ‘’I’m kind of confused but how does that tie in to your house appearing out of nowhere… if he disappeared shouldn’t you be out of danger now?’’ 

Lily shook her head, ‘’he may have disappeared, but we are sure he isn’t dead. As long as we aren’t certain he is gone for good we aren’t out of danger. Still, it’s been a long time since the last time anyone saw him, a lot of people in the wizarding community celebrated a victory of war. Yet, others are uncertain, as many of the Dark Lord’s followers are still out free.’’

So basically they are more afraid of the Death Eaters at large than the Dark Lord himself. Knowing Dumbledore he has made them commit to this lifestyle, no matter the benefit. Thinking about it, wasn’t it slightly foolish to bring a stranger to this dangerous environment. 

‘’Am I going to be in danger?’’ Tom questioned, questioning the logic the Potters had when adopting a new child. 

Lily shook her head, ‘’no, you are going to be fine! We haven’t had any real threat in many years and we have wanted a new child no matter the circumstances. Even if there are Dark forces out there to get us it’s not a reason to put our lives on the backburner.’’ 

Definitely ridiculous and foolish. Not thinking ahead and irrationally jumping to decisions, what if Voldemort would come back next week, then you would have dragged an innocent child into your mess. 

Not that he would care, but it was magical blood that would have to spilled as an innocent victim. The magical community was already shrinking and no one should add to that with their actions, yet sacrifices were needed in wars and it was inevitable. 

‘’Ah, I understand,’’ Tom mumbled and eat a bit of his food then. 

‘’I’m sorry to push so much information upon you so suddenly,’’ Lily said with a worried tone. She then started to eat some food as well, trying to shrug off the awkwardness she had caused. James then laughed a bit, trying to ease the tension. 

‘’I’m sure he is fine Lily,’’ he laughed off, ‘’oh and if you have more questions Tom we arranged some time tomorrow so we could go over your biggest questions!’’ 

Tom nodded, realising the conversation was going to amazingly dull. ‘’Do you have any books on the history or basics of magic? I would rather read and learn on myself and then ask you if I have any further questions.’’ It was a simple answer to his knowledge - books. If he pretended to read a lot he could excuse himself from the Potter for multiple times while answering why he knew so much. 

‘’Oh that can be arranged, there is quite a large library in the main manor of the Potter family. I will be going there next week if you would like to accompany me?’’ James suggested. 

Tom was surprised, so they did have a family manor somewhere. It would open up some new knowledge on him, the Potters were an old lineage of wizards. ‘’I would like that,’’ Tom replied. Then this time Harry piped up. 

‘’But dad you promised it would be a short visit…’’ Harry said with a slightly annoyed tone. 

James smiled, ‘’we can just go to Weasleys the next day. Ron can wait a day more before you start exploding chocolate frogs again.’’ 

This seemed to irritate the Potter spawn as he seemed to be frowning as deeply as he could. Tom swore that the kid was a mirror image of his father but just with different eyes. ‘’We were going to do other things than just that,’’ Harry mumbled in protest. 

Again James only gave a mild laugh for an answer to the slight protest his son was giving him. The child meant to defeat him was debating about kid play dates with his father next to him, this was surreal. He hoped his followers would never witness him in this state.

The rest of the dinner went more calmly as Lily and James inquired about Tom's past and educated him on the basics of the wizarding society. Also they told him how he was going to a Wizarding school at eleven, only a year after Harry.

Throughout the conversation Harry gave minimal participation and only opted to eat his food in silence. As the dinner came to a close it was obvious the youngest Potter was not enjoying Tom’s presence in the house.

The feeling was mutual, there had to be plans made to get rid of the child as quickly as possible. Excusing himself from the table he headed to his room to get ready to sleep. There was a possibility he could turn the child on his side. Make him abandon his light heritage and parents, turning the light savior into a traitor. 

Yet, killing himself would be the safest option, turning him could be impossible with his parents influence. It was locked up house he had grown up in that probably influenced him the most, who knew what kind of effect this had on him.

Being locked inside most of his days must be lonely. 

Having the house under a fidelius did make getting out harder. Thankfully, he was given the piece of paper with the address on it. Then as he was saying that he took out the paper and it proceeded to evaporate in his hands. Grinding his teeth and clutching his hand in a fist, it came to him that these light crusaders were smarter than he gave them credit. 

They probably had the paper in a timelock that it would be destroyed in a certain amount of time. Clever.

That ruled out the plan of sneaking off and visiting Diagon Alley. 

With a slight grunt he got up and went to change to his nightwear. Opening a closet there was a new pair of pajamas meant for him. They looked absolutely horrible and Tom fought the urge to just spell to a more pleasant color scheme yet it would be too alarming. Looking in the mirror he took a good look at his body, as in the orphanage he hadn’t had the chance to properly examine his new body. 

He had a quite of a straight chin, maybe it was due to him being in bed rest for so long he noticed his cheekbones were quite featured. The strangest part he had to get used to was his dirty blond hair. The longer he stared at himself, the more confused he got of the body’s origin. The facial features were very close to a pureblood appearance, yet the slightly curly hair didn’t match anything. 

His pupils were deep brown, nearing on complete black. Yet, he had noticed when he was casting magic there were gold speckles that faintly appeared in his eyes. It was quite suitable, yet yellow wasn’t his color. Gold though, signaled wealth and prosperity, now that he could live with.

*****

The next day was a wreck. First it was a basic introduction to magic and then they showed him some basic things a kid could do with magic. They were surprised when he easily did it with his first try but at the same were amazed. 

After they had ended the basics and answered some questions he had about the wizarding world they insisted they would play muggle board games as a family. It was basic luck based game which determined who won. 

Mind numbing. Still the Potters saw it as good bonding time for all four of them, not like all of them were locked inside the whole time. Harry seemed to be quite entertained by it quite a bit. Also after a few rounds of the games Tom swore to never touch board games again, a waste of time and nothing was earned through it. 

‘’Tom, you seem to not enjoy this much. Should we do something new?’’ Lily asked, as apparently Toms boredom was shining through his mask and the way he acted quite heavily. 

Tom shook his head, even though what she was saying was true. ‘’I must be tired, I haven’t been this active after my incident,’’ he explained simply. ‘’If you excuse me, I will go take a nap before dinner.’’

Lily nodded, ‘’I see... that is understandable. You have gotten a lot of new knowledge all of a sudden.’’ 

‘’Indeed,’’ Tom replied in a bored tone before leaving the room and heading into his own. On the way there he wondered what would happen when he got out of this place. Socializing with other Light families, now that would be a sight to see. 

While walking he set out some simple hard to detect charms on the staircase to know when someone was walking through it. Afterall upstairs was only his and Harry’s rooms, if he didn’t count the study filled with clutter in the end of the hallway. 

Opening the door to his room he wandlessly threw another one on the handle. Now that his privacy a bit more protected he needed to know more of the wards surrounding the house, did they react to each little bit of dark magic. There could be a way to make a new ward under the fidelius which only contained his room, but there was no way the Potters would notice it. 

The detection charms were the simplest he was able to do for now, the Potters weren’t looking for charms like that so they wouldn’t be finding them either. 

Then he headed out of his room when it was secured to head to the bathroom, but instantly got a signal that someone was coming up the stairs. He waited a bit and then saw Harry heading up towards him. ‘’Oh, hi Tom. I assumed you would be in your room,’’ he greeted. 

‘’I was heading there yes,’’ Tom stated simply, as it had no matter to him at the moment what the relationship with him and the child was. Although looking at Harry he noticed the other seemed to be wanting to say something. ‘’Were you looking for me?’’ 

Harry nodded, ‘’I just know we haven’t talked much yet and sorry for being rude yesterday. It’s just weird having a brother all of a sudden. I’m used to being here alone so…’’ he didn’t finish his sentence as he seemed to be quite embarrassed at what he was saying. 

‘’It’s fine,’’ it came out very blunt from Tom’s lips as he didn’t know if he should attempt to comfort the child. Even if he wanted to do that, he had no idea how it was done. 

At Tom’s quite harsh words Harry seemed to brighten up a little bit, ‘’you know I have some books you might want to check out if you are interested. I bought them in hopes of having something to do and ended up going through them all quite quickly. Wasn’t interesting but I guess I learned.’’ 

What had he done to get this child blabbering so much, was Tom’s initial thought. Hadn’t he been rude to him or did he accidentally smile. ‘’I wouldn’t mind borrowing some of them,’’ was the answer that came out instead. It was a good cover after all. 

It was surprising that Harry had seeked out books instead of mindless fun with his friends. Yet, he couldn’t get out and it was an age when he was starting to drift from his parents. Then Harry invited Tom into his room and then shuffled around in his bookshelf for a while before finding the correct books. 

Then he handed Tom a few of them. The first one was a basic prank magic for children and the other one was thankfully about the basic understanding of magic and how it worked. Tom grabbed the theory of magic book from Harry’s hand, ‘’I think I’ll pass on the prank magic. Pranks aren’t to my tastes.’’ 

Harry frowned at that statement, ‘’are you too snobbish to do pranks?’’ 

‘’Actually, I find them quite immature,’’ Tom said disinteresting. It was something he had heard from researching Severus’s background that Potter wanted to exercise, childish pranks. All in good fun of course, but with the experience the Potion Master had, it wasn’t filled with sunlight and rainbows. 

Harry seemed to be quite insulted at that particular statement. ‘’I’m not childish, my dad does them too!’’ he insisted. 

‘’Pranks are only amusing to the ones doing them and the victims have to deal with the pain. People who do pranks are people who hide their abuse behind the guise of ‘fun’,’’ Tom explained clearly and noticed instantly that Harry seemed quite confused at what he was saying. 

The child opened his mouth and closed it almost instantly a few times before speaking up. ‘’So, what you are saying that pranks do more harm than good?’’ 

Tom smiled a bit. His expectation was for Harry to insist on his view of the world instead of accepting his proposal, ‘’yes. That is why I think you should focus on something else than pranks.’’

‘’I’m not going to stop completely, but I’ll think about it. How do you know so much anyways, you are a year younger than me!’’ Harry accused Tom who seemed unfazed by this accusation. 

For a child so young it was a bright remark to come up with. What he didn’t know he was older than his parents, ‘’because instead of idiotic pranks I spent my time productively.’’ Getting the brat to not do pranks on him was the least he could accomplish, it was something if he got irritated enough there was no more Potter miracle child. 

‘’That sounds… so boring,’’ Harry admitted with a slight slouch in his shoulders. 

‘’Maybe, but I have a proposition for you Harry. Because I know you already have something of a prank planned out for me and it was something I would prefer to skip on,’’ Tom said with a weird glee in his eyes. 

Harry then nodded and looked away for a moment, ‘’I may have had something in mind. Nothing too horrible I promise!’’ 

Tom wasn’t even entertaining himself with what this child had instore for him. He hoped to Magic he would never know, ‘’don’t prank me for a month and I will have a special surprise for you.’’ 

‘’A month…? That is quite long,’’ Harry whined. 

‘’I promise the rewards will match the time waited,’’ Tom promised. It wasn’t surprising that to a child a month seemed like a long time. Even he in his youth saw a month in the orphanage as an eternity. 

Harry seemed to be thinking about it deeply, ‘’you have a promise!’’ 

‘’Oh, one more thing,’’ Tom added, his mouth turning a bit. 

Harry frowned, if there was more it was harder for him to agree. ‘’Keep this just between us, it’s our promise. Let’s say it’s a pact between brothers,’’ Tom finished his suggestion and something lit up in Harry’s eyes in the suggestion of brothers. 

‘’Of course, they won’t hear a thing about this!’’ Harry promised and Tom nodded with a devious smile, which turned into a fake smile quite quickly.

‘’You agree to this pact?’’ Tom questioned once more and Harry started nodding fervently 

‘’Yes, I do!’’ As Harry had promised his silence there was a slight buzz of magic there, sealing the pact. He wouldn’t trust a child to keep himself silent about what was going on between them, this was only the first step of a long endeavour.

‘’I’ll look forward to seeing if you’ll make it,’’ Tom said with a slight mock in his tone to make Harry even more determined to make it. 

As expected, Harry grabbed the bait, ‘’it will be like sliding down a slide, expect it’s smeared with butter and yeah, fast and easy!’’ 

‘’Great comparison,’’ Tom said unimpressed. Then he clutched the book more firmly and headed to the doorway, ‘’see you at dinner.’’ Then he walked out and entered his own room instead, closing the door firmly behind him. Instantly he threw the book on his bed, there was no real no need to read it as he had read it in his first youth already. 

The unexpected advantages of a photographic memory. While he had some free time, he decided to find if the Potters had any books in the house. After asking Lily briefly about it there should be a few books in the cluttered study. But the books would probably be too difficult to understand for Tom. 

‘’Better than nothing, I suppose,’’ was the reason he gave them before heading up to the study. Reaching the room he swore to make the Potters clean this room up. It was impossible to know what books and what was just a pile of garbage. All was stored in boxes as well. 

‘’Accio books,’’ after the spell he noticed a box in the far corner of the room rattling. Canceling the accio he made his way closer to the box. Of course, not being that physically strong he tired out fast while moving the heavy boxes. 

Before he continued he cursed the Potters once more and promised to start working out, it was not good if he would tire out so quickly in a duel. Using his magic he levitated a few of the boxes away but after multiple use he felt his reserves drain quite rapidly. 

He felt weak. Forced to do muggle labor was just the aftermath of his new blessing. 

Finally reaching the box containing the books he opened it. There were some old books that were used in Hogwarts. Potions, herbology and other subjects. Sometimes there were two copies of the same book and sometimes only one. There were even a book on ancient runes, it was a copy which he had not read yet. Skimming through the book he realised the knowledge between his school time and the Potters was that the darker subjects had been cut out. 

It was tragic, if they had to face such dark magic they would have no idea how to counter it. Skimming through all of the books, it was obvious that the less used ones were James’ expect for the Defence against the dark arts book. The book was filled with notes and markings, especially on the sections about animorphs and werewolves. 

Either the man had been very interested in the two subjects or there was a possibility that there was more going on. He remembered some sort of a report that there was a werewolf on the light side, yet he couldn’t find himself to remember it. The end of the war for him was very hazy and the memories were tied with all of the pieces of his soul.

Lastly he found were books about the history of the Potter family, along with a children’s story book. The history of the house could be interesting indeed, there might be some useful information, as the family was quite old. If he remembered correctly the Potters should be related to the Peverells along with the Gaunts. 

It would be a good way to spend time, he mused and took the few books that had the history entailed in them, leaving behind the book about children fairy tales. 

As he had deposited the books in his room, there was a knocking on his door. ‘’Tom, dinner time,’’ it was Harry going by the sound. Then Tom walked to the door and opened it. 

‘’Shall we?’’ he mused and walked past Harry and towards the dining room downstairs. After puffing a bit of air in annoyance Harry followed Tom down the stairs. 

That day they were eating just the leftover food from yesterday. ‘’So, tomorrow I was thinking of taking you boys to Diagon Alley. James has to go to work so it will be just us three,’’ Lily started the conversation.

James nodded and quickly Tom remembered that the man was working as an auror. Quite a dangerous job, but how the war ended it would make sense if there was still Death Eaters running around. Most of them were probably doing a lot of time in Azkaban. 

‘’Am I going to get my broom finally?!’’ Harry asked excitedly, it seems there were some earlier plans to go there already. 

James laughed at the comment, ‘’you’ll get your broom when you get your letter to Hogwarts. It would be unfair to get it before the other children.’’

Now that was a flawed logic. Shouldn’t Harry use the advantages he was given instead of waiting on others, truly it made no sense. ‘’But it’s my birthday in a few weeks, I will only ask for a broom! Who cares if it’s unfair, I am able to get it, so why shouldn’t I!’’ Harry whined but after a stern look from James he stopped him from continuing.

‘’We have been over this Harry, you should know better already,’’ James stated and that was the end of the subject. 

Tom only continued eating in his own peace, while listening to the childish squabble. From his side he could hear Harry mutter, ‘’it’s not fair to me…’’

He could probably use this, tucking the information that the child wanted a broom in his mind. ‘’So, why we are going there? If I remember correctly it was the shopping district for magical items?’’ Tom asked, remembering that they had told him about it this morning. 

‘’It’s that too but we are headed to the bank that’s located there, we need to open up an account for you. It will have all the funds you will need from now to when you are an adult. Harry has the same type of a vault there as well. The bank is called Gringotts and it’s run by goblins!’’ Lily explained. 

‘’Oh I see! Wait, goblins?’’ Tom asked, only amused the Potters were handing him some money. 

‘’Yup! I was surprised when I got my letter and visited the bank for the first time. I remember hiding behind my mother in fear at the sight of them,’’ Lily said with a slight laugh. Indeed goblins didn’t enjoy the numerous naive children coming through every year, yet it was their job. 

‘’I will look forward to seeing them,’’ Tom said simply. 

‘’So Tom, I was supposed to ask this earlier but do you remember your parents?’’ James asked, it was expected this would come up. 

Yet, ‘’I remember their faces, but because the accident they died in I lost some important memories. One of them was their names.’’ During his dreams of the body’s life, he had no memories of the names, only faces and some foggy memories of how they had acted and their likes and dislikes. 

Lily seemed quite saddened by that fact, ‘’so, you don’t know your parents names?’’ 

‘’No, even the investigators tied to the incident never found any record of them. They couldn’t even find records of my birth. All pointed to them being deliberately destroyed. So, I’ve only been Thomas,’’ Tom explained, it was all true. There were definitely some suspicious circumstances involved in the parents' death. It was certain there was something or someone behind their deaths and the lost records.

He was just missing information. 

‘’We can get you to take a blood test at Gringotts, it shows you your family tree and birth names. Also additionally any kind of estates or titles you might have, but let's not get our hopes up on those. It’s quite unlikely you would be tied to a magical family,’’ James explained, knowing the customs and services at Gringotts quite well. 

Lily seemed quite shocked by this information, ‘’I didn’t know they did those. You wanna do it Tom?’’ 

Tom nodded, it was already something he had planned on doing when he had the chance. Sadly the Potters would know as well, but he needed all information he could get. ‘’I would like that,’’ Tom agreed. 

Lily smiled warmly and then thought upon it for a while, ‘’you know… when we signed the adoption papers your name changed to Thomas Potter, but you can choose if you want that or you original last name.’’

‘’We don’t want to pressure you into accepting our name at all. Of course, the name Thomas Potter is only valid in the muggle world and in the magical world your name will be that of the original,’’ James explained further. 

The name Thomas Potter was indeed something he didn’t like the ring to. It wasn’t impressive at all and it made him feel like a gryffindor dork. If his family had died under such suspicious conditions it was sure they were someone influential. ‘’I’ll… think about it,’’ came out of his mouth finally. 

Refusing the name outright would look quite bad. He couldn’t alienate himself completely from the family as it would lessen the trust they had in him. They were pawns but he couldn’t use fear in the future, he needed their blind trust in him. 

‘’It’s alright, take your time,’’ Lily said softly.   
*****

The next day, Tom found himself in front of the bank of Gringotts. It felt good to be out of that house the Potters called their home. Walking inside after Lily Tom was quickly greeted with the sight of the goblins behind their podiums. The bank seemed to be quite busy as a lot of people were coming to get their school supplies as the letters had arrived only a few days ago. 

Walking up to the goblin Lily greeted them, ‘’greetings, I am here to get my adopted son Thomas for a blood scry.’’

The goblin then looked at her for a while and then looked down upon his paper, ‘’follow Golrog to the room where the procedure is executed.’’ He then waved his hand towards the nearby goblin that was just walking towards them. The party then follow Golrog towards a nearby room and entered it. 

There Golrog walked up to a desk in the middle of the room. There was a dagger and a piece of parchment on it. ‘’The procedure will cost 10 galleons,’’ Golrog announced before they proceeded. 

Lily then nodded and handed the goblin the exact amount of galleons. After receiving the gold the goblin turned to Tom who was standing near the table already. He had gone through this procedure before after all. ‘’Please make a slight cut on your palm with this knife and let the blood drip on the paper,’’ Golrog then handed the knife in question to Tom. 

Lily was surprised when Tom cut his palm without any sort of hesitation. Then held his clenched palm above the parchment. The whole ritual seemed simple, but in reality the paper and the knife held multiple layers of magic in each of them. Knowledge to the magic was locked deep within the bank and could only be accessed by a few goblins.

As the blood dripped on the paper the liquid started forming letters, filling the paper with information. ‘’That is enough,’’ Golrog announced and almost instantly Lily shot next to Tom with her wand in arm, casting a healing charm. 

The cut disappeared quite quickly afterwards. ‘’You scared me when you went for the cut so suddenly,’’ Lily said worriedly, but all of Tom’s attention was on the parchment. Looking towards the goblin he seemed to be in thought as well. 

‘’I just need to know,’’ Tom stated, making Lily step back again. Her eyes were now on the scroll instead of her adopted child. Even Harry had stepped up from the back. Watching the letters form on the parchment was something of a wonder to Tom, yet he wasn’t as tense as he was the last time. 

This time he wouldn’t be faced with utter abandonment. As the letters stopped forming on the paper Golrog picked it up and scanned the paper. There was a tenseness in his gaze, which in turn made Tom alarmed. ‘’Can I… see it in private?’’ Tom asked, there might be some information on it that wasn’t shareable. 

‘’Of course.. Harry and I will be outside, just call us when you are ready,’’ Lily said, even if she wanted to see what was there. She respected Tom’s desires. After the two had excited the room, Tom turned to the goblin. 

‘’What is it that made you so tense,’’ he almost spat out. Knowing goblins had absolute silence with their clients he could relax for a moment. 

Golrog then handed the paper towards him, ‘’it is the information sir, I’ve never seen anything like it.’’ 

The change in his attitude already spoke volumes, then Tom took the paper and read through it. 

Thomas Alfrad Shafiq, also known as Tom Marvolo Riddle

Parents,  
Father: Alrad Shafiq  
Mother: Bella Thorn

Titles,  
Heir to the Shafiq family  
Heir to the Gaunt family  
Slytherin Heir  
Dark Lord  
Deaths Favorite

Then below was listed the estates that he had and below that were the family trees. The most alarming thing was that his real name was listed on it. Sending the Potters out was the right decision, this paper needed to be gotten rid of. ‘’I trust the pact of silence between clients is still valid Golrog?’’ Tom questioned coldly. 

‘’Y-yes sir, we would never tell our clients information to anyone they haven’t allowed to view it,’’ Golrog explained with a shaky voice. 

‘’I am sure you are aware of what would happen if this information would be leaked. Right now no one is aware of my current position and I would love to keep it that way,’’ his voice was ice cold and the goblin seemed to be sobering up from the earlier shock. 

Golrog nodded, ‘’be assured the Bank of Gringotts would never betray their clients trust.’’ 

‘’I would like to have another copy of this paper, but I would love to have every information tying me to Tom Marvolo Riddle left out of it, including the Deaths Favorite title, is that something you are able to do?’’ he requested. It was the only way possible for him to get the Potters into believing him to be a Shafiq. Indeed, it was unheard of Shafiqs being around in many years. 

The rumor was that they had died out, but it seems there is more to them that shows to surface. ‘’I can do that for you sir, would you like me to make that paper at once?’’ Golrog questioned. 

‘’Of course, also destroy this piece of paper so no one can put it back together,’’ Tom added handing the original to Golrog. One thing kept annoying him on that paper and it was the title Deaths favorite. Just what had the entity done to get that tied in with his blood of all things, there was nothing he could do to keep it from being associated with him. 

Not even mentioning that he was able to be recognized as Tom Marvolo Riddle even if he was in this new body. It was as if the two sources of magic had collided instead of one replacing the other like he had assumed at first. It did make sense that the original blood hadn’t been completely replaced. 

As Golrog was away Tom found himself using upon the paper a lot. There was no way he was taking out the Shafiq name and if the Potters knew anything of magical history they wouldn’t let him change it either. One of the Sacred Twenty-Eight, thought to have lost forever appearing out of nowhere. 

The lineage needed to be continued. Yet, Tom knew his mother had once again been a muggleborn and the lineage wasn’t truly pure anymore. Finally when Gorlog arrived with the new parchment, now containing only the information that tied him to Thomas Shafiq.

‘’Do you find it adequate, sir?’’ Gorlog questioned. 

‘’It is exactly as I wanted,’’ Tom agreed reading through it. Nothing was there anymore that could tie him into a disappeared Dark Lord. 

‘’Do you require further services?’’ Gorlog questioned. Then Tom realized as he was alone he could now deal with business as usual. 

‘’I’m sure the Gaunt vaults and estates are being tended to as usual, correct?’’ Tom questioned. Then Gorlog thought upon it. 

‘’I do not have that information, but do you want me to get the goblin in charge of those vaults?’’ Gorlog questioned and Tom nodded, sending the goblin on his way. 

After a few minutes Golrog walked in once more and with him walked Nagnok. ‘’Nagnok, it’s been a long time,’’ Tom greeted the goblin, already recognizing him. 

‘’I heard you wanted to know about the Gaunt vaults, but I don’t think you have the authority to those vaults,’’ Nagnok accused Tom but Tom only looked at Golrog. 

‘’Inform him who I am,’’ Tom asked the goblin, knowing the silence oath was something that couldn’t even be broken between goblins. 

As the request was made Golrog spoke, ‘’this here is Thomas Alfrad Shafiq, also known as Tom Marvolo Riddle, the heir to the Shafiq and Gaunt families.’’ At the end of that sentence it seems the air around Nagnok changed and he realised that he was in the presence of his former employer. 

‘’I’m sorry sir, I didn’t recognize you. Please accept my apology,’’ Nagnok stated lowering his head for a moment. Tom then ignored the apology as it wasn’t needed, there was no way anyone would recognize him as Tom Riddle. 

‘’How are the Gaunt Vaults and estates, also are you able to take control of the Shafiq vaults and estates or should I pass that responsibility onto Gorlog?’’ he asked. The Gaunt family's fortunes had indeed grown after he had succeeded upon them and the estates were many in numbers. He wouldn’t want mistakes to be made because the goblin was overworked. 

‘’Sir, I have kept both of them in pristine condition and acted according to your wishes if you would ever disappear. Your gold is plentiful,’’ Nagnok stated the report, ‘’I would be honored to take on the duties of Shafiq estates and vaults, yet I believe Golrog would be a better option. My hands are already quite full sir.’’ 

‘’I understand, then Golrog I will trust the Shafiq estates and vaults upon you, when I visit the bank next time I expect a full report on both families estates and the amount of gold in the vaults,’’ Tom finished his orders.

‘’I would be pleased to take on the Shafiq vaults and estates, I will have a report ready next time. Do you wish anything else?’’ Golrog questioned, but Tom shook his head. 

‘’That is all for now, may your vaults be filled with gold,’’ Tom stated, knowing the goblin ways. 

‘’And may your fortune grow,’’ the two goblins chided together and Tom then exited the room with the parchment in his hands. 

Behind the door were waiting Harry and Lily. It seemed he had taken quite a bit of time in there as Harry seemed quite rattled. ‘’Oh Tom! Are you alright?’’ Lily asked hastily and walked up to Tom, seeing the paper he was carrying. 

‘’May I see it?’’ Lily asked and referred to the paper. As an answer Tom handed her the paper. ‘’I just needed a moment alone, that is all,’’ Tom explained. 

‘’I understand Tom, this must be rough for you,’’ Lily said and then started reading through the paper. Her eyes opened up a bit after finishing reading it properly. 

‘’Tom this is amazing! Who would’ve guessed you are a Shafiq,’’ Lily said, amazed at the outcome. ‘’Did you discuss your vaults with the goblin already?’’ 

‘’Shafiq, who are they?’’ Harry asked in between, but was ignored.

Tom nodded, ‘’yes he explained it to me quite clearly, I won’t be able to access the main vaults until later though. Just the heir vault for now.’’ He explained, it was the common custom in a lot of pureblood families. He would be visiting it later when he was alone. 

‘’Would you like to go to it now?’’ Lily questioned. 

Tom shook his head, ‘’no, I would like to visit on my own at a different time.’’

Lily nodded and realised it was probably a lot that Tom was going on right now. There was no need to burden him any further. ‘’That’s alright, there is no hurry to go there anyways. We should go and set up an account for you now from the Potter vaults instead.’’

‘’Guys, who are the Shafiqs and why are they amazing?’’ Harry almost yelled out, finally getting attention on him. Lily turned around to see the quite annoyed Harry behind her.

‘’Sorry dear, I seemed to not hear you. But the Shafiqs are one the more older families in the wizarding community, but they had disappeared in the early 1900’s,’’ Lily explained to Harry. 

‘’As old as the Potters?’’ Harry asked, knowing their history quite well. 

Lily nodded, ‘’just about the same, I am unsure. If you want to know more you have to ask your father.’’ Then Harry seemed to accept that answer, it made Tom think how much had they taught their son, as he was the heir. James should’ve started tutoring him about pureblood etiquette a long time ago so he will be ready for Wizengamot and political play. 

Though, what he had seen from the Auror, there was no way that the man was active in politics. It was almost certain the man only opted to leave the decisions to Dumbledore. 

The next hour was then spent getting the new vault in order and they also visited the vault to see that everything was in order. Finally they made sure Tom had a pouch that allocated only a certain amount of galleons to be drawn out each month. Couldn’t have the child spend too much after all, still the amount was very handsome for a six year old. 

Lily then announced they will be touring some of the stores so Tom could get acquainted with different wizarding items. First they visited the pet store where Tom seemed to be hanging around the snakes more than anything else. 

Harry approached him when Tom was holding one of the Bull snakes, ‘’I hear snakes are quite devious. Dad doesn’t like them at all…’’ 

Tom hummed and let the snake down, all he could think about was Nagini waiting for him to arrive back. There was no doubt she was revelling in being free in the forest and able to eat all she could muster. ‘’Is that so,’’ Tom muttered, not really shocked by what Harry said. 

‘’Have you always liked them?’’ Harry asked, putting his hand in the terrarium and waited for a snake to come closer. But as his movements were quite fast and he hit the bottom of the tank he only managed to get them scared. 

Tom almost hissed at this behavior, but opted to teach the child some knowledge. ‘’Snakes sense movement and the more there is the more alarmed they are. If they are showing their tongue, they are actually trying to smell what is close by. Most snakes do not like to be handled much.’’

‘’But you were just holding one of them!’’ Harry almost whined, saddened that he snakes weren’t liking him as much as they did Tom. 

Tom smiled a bit, ‘’I’ve always been drawn to snakes and they like me back.’’ It was the simplified version of why the snakes were always liking him, in reality it was just he could understand them. His own personal companions, never betraying his trust. 

Then while Tom was talking Harry had managed to get one of the snakes to approach him. ‘’Open up your palm and slowly put it against the bedding,’’ Tom instructed, when seeing this. Harry did as instructed and the snake slowly slithered towards his palm, smelling it and slowly but surely closing in. 

‘’Don’t flinch, it will scare them,’’ Tom added as he saw that Harry was concentrating very hard. His whole body other than his hand was shaking just a little to keep the hand from moving. It was amazing concentration for someone so young. 

Finally the snake slithered fully onto his palm and on to his arm, grabbing it with the rest of his body. ‘’You can lift your arm now,’’ Tom instructed once more and Harry did as he was told. Harry gently caressed the snake with his other arm and when he touched them the snake seemed to be alarmed. 

‘’It didn’t see your arm coming. Snakes don’t hear as we do but they do sense vibrations, you should make sure it sees you before trying to touch it,’’ Tom said as he noticed the snake being quite alarmed. Under his breath he hissed for it to be calmer and that it was alright. 

Harry didn’t notice anything about Tom hissing and only focused on the snake around his arm. ‘’Thanks Tom, this is amazing!’’ Harry said and this time managed to touch the snake without scaring it. His face seemed to be beaming with happiness and Tom observed it with slight interest, it mirrored what he had felt inside when he first spoke to a snake.

That was the first time he knew he was special, it was exhilarating. 

Then Lily finally came to join them in the snake corner and noticed that Harry was having one of the snakes in his hands. ‘’Didn’t know you liked snakes Harry,’’ Lily said and then noticed the happiness that filled Harry’s face. It was something she hadn’t seen in a while expect when they visited the Weasley’s, she knew her son was lonely in that big house. It was great he was finding something that made him happy.

‘’Tom showed me how to get it in my hand, it is quite tight though… maybe they like me?’’ Harry told his mother who seemed to be as interested as him. Tom then was quite surprised the snake was actually interested in Harry. 

‘’This human is weird and why is he accompanied by a speaker? I want to be near him,’’ it seemed like the snake was drawn to Harry instead of Tom for being the speaker. It made Tom wonder why it was attached to Harry, but snakes were unique and who knows what the individuals had going on in their heads. 

The snake was quite beautiful as well, it’s head was red and its body was covered in black scales that had a faint golden shimmer in them. Tom knew the snake was venomous, but listening into what it was saying it didn’t seem to be feeling in danger. 

‘’It’s quite pretty, the red head is very unique. I don’t think I’ve seen another one like it,’’ Lily said and approached the snake, but Harry pulled the close farther from her quickly. 

‘’If you do that they will get scared and I don’t want them to be upset…’’ Harry said to explain his actions and Lily understood. She really didn’t know a lot about snakes, so she was quite shocked Harry knew so much now. ‘’Tom where did you learn about snakes?’’ 

‘’In the garden behind the orphanage there used to be a lot of snakes. I spent a lot of time there and befriended a lot of them, it made me curious and I decided to read up on them as well,’’ it was really close to the truth as well. 

Then as they were chatting the shopkeeper noticed the trio. ‘’Oh, quite a shock this is,’’ he said as he noticed that Harry was happily holding the snake and caressing it’s scales while on there. 

Lily asked, ‘’excuse me?’’

‘’This snake here you see is an export from Southeast Asia. The Muggles know them better as Blue Coral snakes, but this one is magical and it can grow up to four meters even. I’ve never seen it approach anyone, talk about letting them caress it while seeming so happy,’’ the shopkeeper explained. ‘’I would normally advise to stay away from it because it’s quite venomous, but I don’t think that is an issue here. Seems to be attached to your sir madam.’’

Lily stiffened at that, ‘’it’s venomous?!’’

‘’Very venomous, but with it’s magical breeding the snake is able to choose when to use their toxin and when to not use it. They only use the venom if the attacker chooses not to continue attacking after the first warning bite, so there should be no need to worry,’’ they explained. Because of this explanation Harry seemed to be even more excited about the snake. 

Lily only seemed to be quite worried at the fact that the snake was venomous and was debating to order Harry let it down. ‘’Mom, can I keep it?’’ Harry then asked, shocking his mother quite a lot. 

‘’I don’t think your father would approve…’’ Lily started out, knowing James’ dislike towards the reptile. 

Harry then frowned, ‘’I can’t get a broom… and I can’t get a pet either…’’ was the sad sentence that came out of his mouth. 

‘’Honey that was not what I meant-’’ she started out but then Harry looked at her directly in the eyes.

‘’If I’ll keep it in my room and dad would never have to see it! Tom could help me take care of it, right Tom?’’ Harry asked and turned to Tom who seemed quite annoyed that he was pulled into this argument. 

‘’I don’t think I could let you treat that snake badly,’’ Tom admitted. ‘

Harry took that as agreement, ‘’see mom! It will all work out.’’ 

‘’You sure Tom, this snake will be in both of your care then. I guess it could bring you two closer together…’’ Lily admitted, seeing the benefits of the project. ‘’Fine, I’ll get the snake for you as a birthday present, but that will be the only one mister!’’ 

Harry seemed to beam up in victory as Lily agreed to it. They then got a transport box for the snake and a terrarium, including everything needed to set it up. Harry insisted on getting all the best, because his snake wouldn’t be able to live without the finest. 

The shopkeeper didn’t seem to argue as Lily paid the bill that was more galleons than they had spent that month in food. Now going home she would need to explain this to James. Packing all the stuff up in a dimensional trunk they continued their way through the other stores. Lily refused to shrink the trunk, as she put it he would need to bear with his decisions. 

For Tom it was amusing to watch Harry struggle with the trunk, but he should soon make his exit and do his own purchases. When they left the bookstore with multiple books for Tom to read, he quickly cast a disillusionment charm around him so he could sneak away behind them. It wasn’t anything new for a kid just introduced to the world to get distracted and wander off. 

His first stop was the bank and there he reviewed the estates and vaults of Gaunts and Shafiqs. After he went to draw galleons from the Shafiq heir vault and acquired a new money pouch tied to the vault, he couldn’t risk the Potters noticing him taking out a lot of gold from his Potter vault after all. 

Then as he once more evaded running into Lily and Harry who were searching for him and making sure Point me spells would fail to locate him he headed down to Knockturn. With a basic glamour charm he turned himself to look more like a half goblin to combat the height he was missing. It was degrading to seem like a goblin, but it was his only option if he wanted to purchase anything from the stores. 

With ease he then bought a trunk that was warded against detection and could be shrunk with the touch of the bonded owner, he then purchased multiple books about different dark rituals and stories on soul magic. Any book he could find, he would purchase, no matter the cost. 

Ensuring his survival was a priority after all. The thought of dying before finding a new solution to immortality was his worst nightmare. 

As he had gathered everything he needed in timely fashion he shrunk the trunk and put it in his pocket. Putting a notice-me-not charm on it, for extra safety. Walking back to Diagon Alley he canceled the glamour and searched for Lily and Harry. If his estimate was correct he had been away for less than an hour, there should be no suspicion. 

Walking forwards on the street he just waited for the two to notice him, finally he heard it. ‘’Tom! There you are!’’ was the shout from Lily half yelling at him. Behind him came Harry, now the trunk shrunken it seemed. 

‘’Where did you go, we were so worried! I was so close to just going to knockturn to search for you!’’ Lily said in a haste, Tom could hardly understand what she was saying. 

Faking an apologetic face Tom faced Lily, ‘’I just saw this weird fellow with a cat on his back and decided to follow him. I ended up talking with him for a while and then I realised I had lost you.’’ 

Lily laughed a bit, to ease her panic. ‘’It’s fine, it could happen to anyone. Thankfully nothing worse happened. Just promise me to not follow weird people again or just tell us before doing so.’’

‘’I promise,’’ Tom said with a low tone. 

Lily sighed and ruffled his hair a bit. Tom resisted once more slapping her hand away but took the shameful display in the end. All for the future, he chanted in his head. ‘’Good, we should go home now, I think that was quite enough of an adventure for one day,’’ Lily stated. 

They then headed to the Leaky cauldron and took the Floo to the pub in Godric’s Hollow. There once they arrived at the house once more Lily passed a note onto Harry and then he passed it to Tom, making the house visible once more. 

When they got inside Harry urged Tom to come and help him set up a space for the snake and tell him everything he needed to keep in mind. Thankfully, the shopkeeper had already told Harry mostly how he was supposed to take care of the snake and what to keep in mind. 

As the snake was still quite small they set up a small terrarium for him to at for now, but when he grew they would get them a larger one. When they were ready Harry took out the snake and once again urged him into his palm. Tom hissed for the snake to come silently and they complied. 

‘’Tom, he still likes me!’’ Harry said excitedly and lifted the snake out of the travel bin and on to the terrarium. The snake then started moving around there and looking at what did his new home look like. ‘’Do you think they approve of it?’’ Harry asked his tone a bit unsure while following the snake around with his eyes.

Tom didn’t even think twice if the snake liked it or not as they were almost screaming of joy getting rid of the other swarm of snakes that they had to be entertaining at the shop. ‘’Seems they are happy to be rid of the presence of others,’’ Tom stated. ‘’Do you have a name?’’

Harry made a face as if he was just realizing something, ‘’I forgot to name them, the shopkeeper told us they had no idea of their gender right? So something neutral would fit.’’ Then Harry took a moment to think about the name. 

‘’Ah! Hydrus!’’ Harry said quite loudly after thinking for a moment. 

‘’The medieval water creature found in the Nile, quite fitting,’’ Tom stated and Harry seemed quite shocked that he knew where the name came from. It was the origin of the name for the creature Hydra, but in reality Hydrus and Hydra were completely different creatures. Hydrus was a being that consumed their prey from the inside after being eaten.

‘’I thought I was the only one reading those kinds of things. I love the tales of magical creatures and old mythologies. I found them when I was reading about the history of magical families, it was as if a new world opened up. There are so many magical creatures I’ve never even heard about!’’ Harry explained with his beaming with joy. 

‘’Well, Hydrus will be your first magical creature,’’ Tom said then, forcing a faint smile on his face. It seemed as if Hydrus like his name as well, the snake seemed very arrogant and this name just inflated it’s ego. 

Harry then crouched down next to the terrarium, ‘’I wonder why he seemed attached to me, maybe it was fate?’’ 

‘’Who knows, maybe you have a special kind of air around you that attracted it,’’ Tom mused, but Harry turned to look at him as if hurt. 

‘’Are you saying I smell?’’ Harry gasped out in hurt. 

Tom shook his head and crouched down next to the terrarium, ‘’no you simpleton. I simply mean Hydrus took a liking to your aroma. Maybe it was Fate, only Fate itself would know the answer to that.’’ 

‘’Are you saying there is an actual being that controls fate? Now that would be insane!’’ Harry said with a bit of a shock. 

Tom then chuckled a bit, understanding himself that his view of the world had changed a bit after being faced with literal Death. ‘’Who knows.’’


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh yeah, hi! This story is something I just been writing for a while in my free time and I realised, oh this is starting to be really long. 
> 
> And yeah, posting bits and bits here. Sometimes I updated often if I have written a lot, right now the whole work is about 107 pages, but I don't want to post so far it catches up with my writing pace. I'll keep this going as l have inspiration and new ideas for it :)
> 
> Sorry for the long note, ok let's get to the story

As the week passed Tom got used to living with the Potters. He still had to be careful not to be caught when reading Dark magic books, but it wasn’t an issue as he had his alarm system. The first week passed quite calmly, they visited Diagon a few times because Harry insisted on getting new stuff for Hydrus, even if the snake didn’t require it. 

James had to be talked through by Lily when he first saw the snake. After Harry insisted how the snake had bonded with him and it was his gift, James seemed to budge but still insisted on not having any snakes in his home. 

Lily then yelled at the man for being too stubborn and he should let his child have this one thing. It didn’t escalate to a fight as James seemed to cover instantly when faced with Lily’s rage. In the end, James went to see Hydrus once and he didn’t enter the room again. The man chose not to start a conversation about the snake, but listened to Harry as he was explaining the new cool thing Hydrus did that day. 

The next week they started out by visiting the Potter manor, where Tom picked up more books on the history of the family, especially paying attention to the Peverells. There were also some old books that had strong Light magic rituals in them, he took them as well and hid them inside his hidden trunk, so James wouldn’t notice. With his strong affiliation towards Dark magic it would be near impossible for him to perform any of the spells, yet he wouldn’t pass upon it. There always might be a lead towards immortality. 

At the end of the week was Harry’s birthday party. Everyone the Potter’s saw as close family friends were invited. It was a gathering of Light fanatics. Also it was the first time that Tom would be introduced to everyone and Harry insisted it was the first time everyone would see Hydrus as well. 

Tom didn’t enjoy being put on the same level as the snake, but he kept his mouth shut on the subject. The family insisted to keep the occasion casual, but Tom kept his attire quite formal. It was the only moment he could dress a bit cleaner than normal. 

A dark red t-shirt and black dress pants, that was the amount of formality that the Potters could bear with. When he had come downstairs with a dress shirt and pants, the family had sent him upstairs to change once more. 

The first quests to arrive were Sirius Black and Remus Lupin, Black being Harry’s godfather. It surprised Tom that a Black would be hanging around such a light family as the Potters, but he remembered some talk about a traitor in the family. It must be him then. 

‘’Prongslet! How have you been, haven’t made more trouble for your folks I hope,’’ Sirius greeted Harry, while rustling his hair. Making it even messier than it already was. ‘’Happy birthday cub,’’ he added warmly. 

After Remus walked in as well and congratulated Harry as well. ‘’Sorry we didn’t bring you gifts, your mother told us you weren’t allowed anymore presents. You know we can’t oppose her,’’ Lupin said in an apology and Harry nodded, knowing this already. 

‘’You are making me out to be a bad guy,’’ Lily complained slightly. 

‘’You know I jest Lily,’’ Remus said back and Lily laughed at that a bit. 

Then Sirius walked over to where Tom was, a bit further from the door. ‘’The newest addition to the Potters! Thomas right? I’m Sirius Black, but you may call me Padfoot.’’ 

‘’I think I’ll stay with Sirius and I prefer to be called Tom,’’ Tom corrected the man. It would be a struggle to bring himself to call the man Padfoot, such a ridiculous name. 

Sirius seemed to frown at that but Remus stepped in before he could push further. ‘’Hi Tom, I’m Remus Lupin, but everyone calls me Moony. If you want, I'm alright with Remus.’’ 

Tom nodded, realising this man was the more sane part of the duo. Also there was an odd glee to the man’s eyes and his whole endeavour seemed slightly… weak. ‘’Where are the nicknames coming from?’’ Tom asked, sating his curiosity. 

At that Sirius almost as if barked. ‘’You are telling me Prongs never told you?’’ he said and looked towards James who seemed to realise something at that very moment. 

‘’I honestly forgot,’’ James muttered out. 

Tom scrunched his eyebrows a bit at the conversation. It seemed to be quite a general knowledge in the family yet he had somehow missed it completely. ‘’You see Tom we used to help Remus here with his.. ‘Furry problem’ we called it during Hogwarts. Each of us are animagi and the names come from them!’’ 

It was as if a light bulb lit up inside Tom’s head. ‘’Remus is a werewolf,’’ Tom said out loud, making everyone else in the room be quite shocked. It seems he forgot where he was, that was weird. ‘’I read about them in one of the books from the manor, it had all kinds of magical creatures listed,’’ he explained quickly. 

‘’A bookworm huh. I have to admit I was quite shocked when you guessed it that easily, weren’t you living in the muggle world until a bit over a week ago?’’ Remus questioned, a bit of an embarrassed laugh followed after. 

Tom then stared at the man, it was obvious he was quite ashamed about the wolf inside him. Knowing enough about werewolves hating the wolf wouldn’t do him any good in the long run, ‘’because I’ve only been here a short while I saw it for the best to get the most information I could.’’ 

‘’Smart,’’ Remus admitted and smiled at Tom. ‘’Don’t worry, the furball stays quiet until it’s full moon,’’ Remus tried to assure him.

Before Tom could answer Sirius had stepped in once more but now as a shaggy black dog, causing Tom to take a step back. Then he barked at Tom and rushed to topple Harry on the ground.   
s a Black they all were quite unique. The insanity only appeared in different ways. Then he wondered if Bellatrix had ended up in Azkaban, yet if the woman saw him disappear, who knows where she had gone to. 

‘’Hey hey Uncle Sirius want to see my snake?’’ Harry asked eagerly. 

Sirius frowned in slight confusion and looked to Lily and James, ‘’there is a snake?’’ 

‘’Yeah! Hydrus,’’ Harry explained with huge excitement. 

Lily laughed a bit at the shock on Remus’ and Sirius’ faces. James only sighed, ‘’Harry’s birthday present was a snake. There was no room for argument at all, it was either the snake stays or he would get a broom at seven years old!’’ 

Lily then glared at her husband, ‘’where is this attitude coming from now?’’ 

‘’Nowhere dear, there is no attitude here! I love the snake,’’ James said hurriedly as he felt the killing intent from Lily.

Lily huffed in victory and turned back to the two other Marauders, ‘’Harry wanted the snake and because it was so expensive, he wasn’t allowed anymore presents. But he likes Hydrus a lot.’’

Sirius couldn’t hold back his barking laughter anymore as they watched the exchange between the two. ‘’You two never break from the usual rotation do you?’’

Then as the four adults continued talking Tom noticed Harry had moved closer to him. ‘’I don’t like that my dad dislikes Hydrus, it’s like he doesn’t even try,’’ Harry muttered, only Tom hearing him. 

‘’Well, if he isn’t willing to reach out to you, why are you reaching for him?’’ Tom said to Harry. Trying to make Harry realise what was the cruel reality before him. 

Harry frowned, ‘’but he is my father.’’ 

Tom almost seethed at that, ‘’the title is earned not given.’’ With that he ended the conversation, it was already enough to make Harry think about things, one the first baits for the boy to catch. As he walked away more people came in through the door. 

From the sounds alone he could guess one of them was Dumbledore. Gazing from the kitchen to the doorway there were many redheads. Tom recognized them instantly - it was the Weasley’s.

As they were greeting each other Tom wondered would Dumbledore once more reject him. There was no closet to burn this time thankfully. First, he needed to avoid the man’s eyes because he would notice the occlumency shields that Tom had. He could bring out thoughts to the surface that made it seem like he didn’t have them.

It would take some concentration, yet it wasn’t a sweat to Tom. At least normally, yet he hadn’t done much occlumency apart from building up his shields and protections. All for meeting the old bastard. 

The robe the man as wearing was once more hideous and could burn his eyes away. Did he ever really see himself in the mirror or were those glasses only for after leaving the house. ‘’Hello Tom, my boy it is great to meet the latest addition to the Potter family!’’ the fool greeted him. 

‘’Thank you.. Um…’’ Tom said, as he still hadn’t been introduced to the man. Dumbledore almost walked with a weird giggle in his feet to Tom. 

‘’I’m Albus Dumbledore, the Headmaster of Hogwarts. I believe James and Lily have already told you about my wonderful school?’’ he asked with a corny smile. 

Tom forced a smile on his face. ‘’A pleasure to meet you, Mister Dumbledore.’’ 

‘’Very formal young lad you are,’’ Dumbledore stated, with that twinkle in his eyes. The twinkle that got every drawn to his eyes and he could read their thoughts, at least the surface ones. Tom just decided to bring up the thought on how hideous his robes were and he might get a headache out of them. ‘’Well my boy, how you fancy my robes, don’t see anything like it on the streets of London would you say?’’

‘’They are very.. Unique sir,’’ Tom said simply and earned a proud huff from the Headmaster. Then finally the Weasley’s came to gather around as well and introduced themselves to Tom. 

There were so many, but Tom made a slight effort to remember each of the names. The father Arthur Weasley was instantly interested in Tom and his life among the Muggles, it was extremely weird as the man was a pureblood, yet seemed a huge fan of the muggles. Even going as far as praising them, Tom didn’t disagree fully, yet he wouldn’t say rubber ducks were the invention of the century. 

The mother of the family, Molly Weasley seemed quite level headed at least. Probably the one keeping the family with seven children together. How the two had gotten so many children Tom decided to not think about. Their clothes already spoke volumes of their level of wealth. 

Apparently the oldest Bill didn’t make it as he was currently in Egypt for work as a curse breaker, that was quite an interesting fact. Then there was the second oldest Charles, who worked with dragons in Romania. Percy only gave him a short introduction, very timid, Tom guessed he would work well in ministry. Everyone there already thought they were better than everyone around them. Percy would fit in perfectly.   
The man seemed insane to Tom’s eyes, he wa

The twins, they were annoying. Another influence on Harry’s pranking ways, yet they did show some sign of intelligence as they explained to him about their home made devices. He had to admit when they spelled Dumbledore’s robe to turn grey it was amusing. Made the old fool seem way more bearable.

As he had already heard of the boy, there was Ron. The same age as Harry and apparently Harry’s best friend. Towards Tom though, he wasn’t that pleasant. It was surprising that no one noticed how hostile the kid was to him, even if Tom hadn’t done anything towards him. At least not yet. Not bothering with the childish hatred he decided to ignore the boy completely. 

The youngest was Ginevra, or Ginny as they called her. Same age as Tom’s body was, they would be going to Hogwarts together. She seemed very interested in Harry, it seemed to be a crush. 

I guess Harry was the only boy she was able to meet apart from her family, it wasn’t a surprise she took a liking to him. Mostly she stayed by her mother's side, but sometimes sat with Ron and Harry and in turn with Tom. 

Tom didn’t know when but at some point Harry had brought Hydrus downstairs to show the snake to everyone. Most of the adults accepted the snake but didn’t dare to try and touch it, but the kids especially Fred and George were excited to have this snake with Harry. 

‘’Can it spit venom?’’ Fred asked. 

‘’Maybe we could use it to paralyze someone!’’ George chided in.

Harry frowned, ‘’I don’t think Hydrus would like to be used like that.’’

‘’Oh don’t worry Harrykins it’s all safe for Hydrus, we would never harm him! Right Fred?’’ George asked and turned to his brother. 

‘’You know it, it’s all in pure scientific curiosity!’’ Fred said with confidence. 

Harry was still faltering and Tom noticed Hydrus was quite defensive against the two twins. The snake had decided to coil around Harry’s neck as it was the best way to see what was happening around it and keep itself from not falling. 

Harry didn’t seem to mind this at all, as he was quite friendly with the snake already. As Fred and George closed on the snake Tom chided in, ‘’are you sure you want to test that out. The first bite is nonvenomous, yet if you two want it’s venom one of you needs to be bit.’’

‘’Eh? We didn’t know that!’’ Fred said with a gasp and took a step back from the snake. 

‘’You would really have to make Hydrus mad to get it to spill it’s venom and I researched it and even a touch could be potentially fatal,’’ Tom added for good measure. It was pretty much sure they wouldn’t be bothering the snake any longer. 

Even if dead Weasleys would be wonderful to him, it would make an unnecessary target on the snake. Hydrus had proved to be quite good company to Tom, when Harry wasn’t in his room. It would be a shame if he would be removed from the house. 

‘’Tom, don’t scare them like that,’’ Harry whined and then sat next to Tom on the couch. Fred and George than sat quite close to them, all around the coffee table. ‘’Hydrus wouldn’t hurt anyone.’’

Tom huffed and smiled slightly, ‘’of course he wouldn’t.’’

‘’So you were scaring us!’’ Fred yelled out. 

Tom then noticed Hydros climbed from Harry’s neck and on to his arm, coiling his tail around the arm. His head was closer to his palm than anything, ‘’why is the speaker so quiet today, is it because of the others?’’ he listened to Hydrus. 

‘’I think he is in a plot with the snake,’’ George called out and then him and Fred both gasped as if they had just realised something. 

‘’It’s all just a big conspiracy! Maybe he planned this all along!’’ Fred said with some laughter mixed in. 

Tom raised his eyebrow at the two, ‘’excuse me?’’

Fred and George both nodded at the statement. Ron had finally joined the four others in the room and listened in on the conversation. Harry just chuckled at the crazy allegations, ‘’Hydrus is actually Tom’s cousin that he sneaked in to the store where they got him! That is why Hydrus stays away from anyone else.’’

‘’So why is the snake so tied to Harry?’’ Tom called out. 

Fred then pointed at Tom, ‘’because you made the snake do that! Hydrus is cursed to stay as a snake, but you and them made a plan before it happened that entailed scaring people with venom and death. Indeed a well thought out prank.’’

Finally when Harry stopped laughing he spoke, ‘’but Tom hates pranks, I don’t think he would’ve spent that long for something like that.’’

‘’It is quite ridiculous,’’ Tom stated druly. 

George then laughed, ‘’that’s exactly what a prank mastermind would say!’’

‘’Or maybe he is just a snake himself,’’ Ron added while glaring at Tom who was caressing Hydrus. 

Tom sighed, indeed the child's mind was quite one dimensional. He was holding a snake so he was a snake. ‘’Wouldn’t that mean Harry is a snake as well?’’ Tom stated and let Hydrus travel back to Harry. ‘’I mean, it’s his snake.’’

‘’That is different,’’ Ron argued. 

Harry then thought about it a bit, not laughing anymore. It was obvious Ron wasn’t joking anymore, ‘’well let’s not take it too far. It’s all fun and joking around, no harm done.’’ 

Ron frowned and slouched to his couch. ‘’I don’t think Harry should have a snake.’’ 

Harry then seemed saddened by that comment but stood up and walked to the couch that Ron was sitting on and sat next to him. Then he hovered Hydros closer to the redhead, ‘’come on Ron, Hydrus ain’t scary at all. See, he is just a small harmless creature.’’

Ron almost instantly pulled his head away from the snake instinctively. ‘’Don’t be such a baby Ron, it’s only a snake!’’ Fred mocked from the side and quickly Ron glared at him. 

‘’You were just as scared as I am a moment ago!’’ he defended and then gulped and pulled himself back to sitting upright. Tom saw the mental struggle the Weasley was going through written all through his face. 

‘’Ron, touch him, see he is closing on you!’’ Harry said when he noticed that Hydrus was closing on Ron. 

Finally the boy lifted his hand and shakily made it near to the snake. Tom watched this keenly when everyone else watched in awe. ‘’Ronnikins is doing it!’’ George gasped out with joy. 

When the hand was just touching the snake Tom made his move, ‘’when he touches you act scared and hurt.’’ Tom hissed silently, so only the snakes ears picked it up. He noticed that one of the twins picked up some odd sound but no one looked at him. 

Then as Ron touched the snake he was able to be there for a second and then Hydrus pulled away with a shriek, racing back to Harry and hiding inside his shirt. ‘’Ron what did you do?!’’ Harry said with panic, trying to get Hydrus to calm down. 

‘’I didn’t do anything! I just touched it and suddenly-’’ Ron tried arguing but Harry had managed to calm Hydrus down and now sat up from the couch. 

‘’I know you don’t like them, but no need to go as far as hurting!’’ Harry said and walked away, ‘’I’m going to take Hydrus back up now.’’ 

Tom then forced back his laugh at Ron’s shocked face at what had happened but then he looked at him and there was a bit of hate blooming. Then Ron pointed at Tom, ‘’you did it! I don’t know how but you made the snake act like that!’’ 

‘’What?’’ Tom asked, faking confusion. 

Even Fred and George seemed confused at this accusation. ‘’Yeah how could Tom made that happen,’’ Fred mumbled. 

‘’H-he held the snake before Harry! He must’ve used a spell or something,’’ Ron tried to argue but only was met with laughter from his brothers. 

‘’Ron, did you forgot Tom only got told of magic a few weeks ago? And now he is a wizard who can make snakes scared of you because you hurt them?’’ George said in between laughs. ‘’Think of that Fred!’’

‘’I think Ron has gotten some weird delusions out of nowhere,’’ Fred agreed. 

Ron frowned even if he was still angry but couldn’t say it anymore. Tom smiled a bit at the outcome, ‘’I think he thought the story about Hydrus being my brother was real.’’

Fred and George both then understood what had happened and surrounded Ron and started rustling his hair. ‘’Ron we were only joking, it was all made up.’’

‘’We are your older brothers of course you would believe us, so adorable,’’ the twins mocked their brother who seemed to get more and more annoyed. Then finally Ron pushed the two away from him and walked to the kitchen and ran away from the laughs and mocking. 

Tom then decided to leave the two twins alone and go see how Harry was fairing. It was helpful how believing children were. Everyone was through rose tinted glasses to them. For Tom, Harry was a good project to work on. 

Opening the room door he heard Harry talking to Hydrus quite sadly. ‘’Hydrus I am sorry Ron did that to you… I don’t know why he would do that, he knows you are important to me,’’ Harry mumbled out, his voice quite shaky. ‘’I wish I knew what you were thinking…’’

There was a soft and surprisingly compassionate hissing in return. The door then creaked and alerted Harry to Tom’s presence. ‘’Oh Tom,’’ Harry said when seeing him. His eyes were slightly red, as if he was keeping back crying. ‘’For a moment- no nevermind.’’

Tom then walked into the room and closed the door behind him. His inside kept turning as he closed on Harry, sitting next to him on the floor he put his arm on the boy’s shoulder. Then there was a slight jolt, that Tom quickly put in the back of his mind. Harry must’ve felt it too as he quickly shot back. ‘’How are you faring?’’ Tom asked, dismissing that weird reaction.

Harry rubbed his shoulder a bit, then shrugging it off and pulled his gaze back to Hydrus. ‘’I… I think I am a bit confused I think,’’ Harry stated. 

Tom left silence, to hope the boy would continue. ‘’I don’t understand why my father and Ron are so against Hydrus. He is just a snake, nothing bad or evil. He hasn’t done anything wrong! I love Hydrus and he is so wonderful, they aren’t even giving him a chance to prove himself. It’s horrible and why is that so Tom?’’

Tom sighed, it would be hard to put it all into words for someone so young. ‘’There is discrimination in the world for things that others tie into the deeds of others. Others who weren’t so good. So like snakes, people compare them to those bad memories they have of former Slytherin’s.’’ 

‘’I heard Voldemort was a Slytherin…’’ Harry stated, then he caught himself as he had said the name. ‘’I am not supposed to know that, but I forced it out of my mother one day. After Dumbledore kept using it when I saw him.’’ 

‘’You see Dumbledore often then?’’ Tom asked, his interest piqued. 

Harry stayed quiet for a while, making weird sounds as he tried to find the words he wanted to say. ‘’You don’t have to tell me, we can talk about other things.’’ 

‘’Mom and Dad told me to not mention anything about it to you…’’ Harry said quietly. 

Tom hmm’d, it wasn’t a shock. Bringing a child straight into the harsh cold reality that was the war, ‘’want to make a deal?’’

‘’What do you mean?’’ Harry asked, his mind already in a jumble of thoughts. 

Tom smiled deviously, ‘’now remember as with our other promise, no telling others. I don’t think you would want your parents to find out you told me secrets.’’ 

Harry frowned, not really understanding. ‘’I will tell you my biggest secret and then you can tell whatever it is that is bothering you.’’ 

Harry faltered for a moment. Then Tom leaned in and picked up Hydrus and then met Harry’s eyes, ‘’we have been enjoying our time together haven’t we Harry. These past few weeks have been so wonderful.’’ 

Harry nodded, ‘’I think so too! You don’t tell me what I can’t do and just listen to me.’’ 

‘’There would be no issue with this deal then? You trust me and I trust you. It’s only for us to bond more…’’ Tom said silkily. Now only for him to snatch on to the bait. 

Harry nodded even more eagerly. ‘’That makes sense! Isn’t that what being brothers is, sharing things you can’t talk to your parents about. Keeping secrets..’’ 

Tom then broke his line of thought when he started hissing in parseltongue to Hydrus, ‘’hello there beautiful. You did well today with that redhead.’’

Harry gaped watching Tom keep those noises. Then Hydrus lifted it’s head and looked to Tom, ‘’thank you speaker. I’m sure it was all for the good of Harry, he seemed very sad afterwards…’’ 

‘’I know, it’s all for his future. See, he is being used as a puppet by his family, I want him to gain independence,’’ Tom stated, parts of it true. Harry then looked at Tom, then Hydrus, then again at Tom, absolutely out of words.

‘’Are you talking to Hydrus?!’’ Harry shouted and Tom silenced him instantly by putting his hand on the other hand. Truly barbaric, but Tom’s abilities on magic would be kept a secret. 

‘’Yes, don’t shout it. If you ever let anyone know about this I will make sure to never help you with anything again, got that,’’ Tom threatened. Harry almost yelped but shut his mouth and nodded, showing his understanding. 

Then as Tom lowered his hand Harry whispered, ‘’how are you able to do that?’’

‘’I’ve always known how to do it, but only discovered it when I first saw a snake. I was very surprised when they were talking to me, no one around me understood. Then I knew how to talk back to them as well,’’ Tom explained. 

Harry was pushing himself from not just jumping up and down, ‘’I’m so jealous… That is so amazing. Hey, can you tell Hydrus that he is the best snake in the world?’ 

Tom almost wanted to sigh but fought back, nodding he turned back to Hydrus. ‘’You already know, but Harry says you are the best snake in the world.’’ Then as if on cue Hydrus looked at Harry and seemed very proud of itself. Even the tip of his tail was moving a bit. 

Harry was beaming with excitement then, ‘’look, he knows! He is so happy!’’ Then Harry took Hydrus into his hands and the snake came there eagerly. Harry then caressed the boy of Hydrus him humming happily. 

‘’Can I learn that too?’’ Harry asked his mind in the clouds now. 

Tom then froze, ‘’I don’t know.’’ 

Harry became sad again, ‘’it’s alright, if you are here, I can talk to Hydrus.’’ 

Tom smiled then, knowing he had just made Harry just a bit more reliant on him. ‘’Give me time, I’ll find a way to share it. But remember…’’ 

‘’Our secret,’’ Harry said with a toothy grin. 

‘’Yes, exactly,’’ Tom almost purred. ‘’Now, your side of the bargain, I gave a good enough payment.’’ 

Harry nodded, again faltering. Putting Hydrus first down he took a deep breath. ‘’A year ago, on my birthday as well, my parents saw it best for me to start special lessons. So, if you-know-who ever came back, I would be able to protect myself. First the lessons were with my parents but a few months ago, Dumbledore started joining in on some. To see how I was doing.’’ 

He paused and took a breath. ‘’He was nice, understanding the frustration I must be going through. Then my parents told me that as dad had more work to do Dumbledore would take over the lessons now that I am seven.’’ 

Tom listened in on it intently. It was like Dumbledore to get kids see himself as a saint or a savior. ‘’Do you want to take those lessons?’’ 

‘’I don’t know really, I understand my parents are scared for me but hasn’t you-know-who been away for so long already? The thing with the prophecy even, I think no one is thinking about Neville. He lost his parents after all, wouldn’t he make more suitable as the target? I don’t think he is being trained…’’ Harry explained further.

Tom’s eyes widened, both of his parents. If his memory was true he had only killed the father. ‘’Must be hard for him, losing his parents like that,’’ Tom said instead of prying directly. 

‘’I know… Well only his father is dead but his mother is… well, the adults don’t tell me what exactly happened but I know she is in such a bad condition that she is kept in a hospital everyday! I have a family and friends, yet he only has his grandmother…’’ Harry said sadly. 

Tom then didn’t know what to say further, it was obvious Harry didn’t know what had happened to the Longbottom other than something horrible. ‘’Any idea why Dumbledore is so convinced it’s you?’’ 

Harry frowned, ‘’I have no idea, but he keeps asking me if I have any weird dreams. Maybe that is tied to it?’’ 

Now that really was odd, why would Dumbledore be interested in Harry’s dreams. Then he realised that the old fool knew the whole prophecy when he did not. ‘’Could be an old man’s ramblings?’’ Tom shot in the air. 

Harry laughed at that, ‘’I hope. It would be horrible if I suddenly started having odd dreams.’’ 

‘’Indeed,’’ Tom agreed. It annoyed him the man was yet a step ahead of him, was it possible that the whole prophecy was his plan, no according to Snape he wasn’t noticed at all. Yet, who kept an interview in a room above a bar. 

No, who would suddenly make a prophecy at a job interview. Tom knew that the job interviews for Hogwarts were kept in the Headmasters quarters, then why had Dumbledore changed that at the last minute.

Then as Tom was deep in thought there was a knock on the door, “boys the Weasley’s are leaving now, come say goodbye.” Lily’s voice came from behind the door.

Harry then flinched, almost as if popping back into reality. ‘’On our way!’’ he replied and got up, his face sinking as he realised what he needed to face now. Tom noticed this and got up as well, he didn’t want the boy to out there and forgive the redhead immediately. 

‘’Don’t let him rope into forgiving him or he won’t learn,’’ Tom said sweetly. 

Harry nodded, his eyes showing determination. As they arrived downstairs they noticed that most of the Wealeys were already at the door. Tom scried the rooms and noticed Dumbledore really wasn’t there. They were instantly waved to come at the door and Harry received a hearty hug from Molly. 

There were few more congratulations to him and to Tom they only told him it was good to meet him. At that moment Tom realised none of them had talked about his heritage, had Lily not mentioned it to anyone? Well, he was supposed to be a child oblivious to the magical community and their history, so no questions were asked. 

Then as most of the Weasleys had already walked out of the door and goodbyes were said, Ron stopped in his tracks when he was following his brother out the door. As the other Weasleys had walked out and the other guests had went back inside, Harry and Ron met each others eyes. 

Tom then stepped back a bit, to watch what would happen. 

‘’I really didn’t do anything,’’ Ron insisted for the last time. His fists were clenched and his eyes did go to Tom for a second. All he got as a response from Tom was a slight smile. It seemed to agitate the red head even further. 

Harry sighed, ‘’why would Hydrus react like that then, you hit him or hurt him any other way.’’ There was anger in his voice, yet he held his voice low and controlled. 

‘’I’m sure he did something,’’ Ron said, it was almost a whisper. 

Harry seemed confused, ‘’who did something?’’

‘’Tom,’’ Ron said and as Harry seemed ready to walk away once more he continued, ‘’I am not making this up! Even Fred and George said there was a weird sound before I touched the snake.’’

‘’Why would Tom do anything like that?’’ Harry said, his tone annoyed and now more loud. 

‘’I-I don’t know, maybe he is jealous that I am your friend?’’ Ron said the first thing to come to his head. ‘’He is arrogant anyways, a snake in disguise and no one can see that!’’ 

As Ron stopped his sentence he realised his mistake. Harry seemed hurt and no longer angry, this wasn’t about Hydrus anymore. ‘’Harry, I-’’

‘’Have fun going back home,’’ Harry finished it and walked away. When he had passed Tom, Ron seemed to babble a bit incoherently. Tom then continued looking at Ron and wondering what he was going to do next. 

It was obvious the boy had dug himself a hole and jumped into it. It wouldn’t matter what he was going to insist now, he had lost his credibility with Harry. ‘’Shouldn’t you leave now?’’ Tom said as he approached Ron. 

Ron then wore his anger on his sleeve towards Tom. ‘’I don’t know what you did to Harry but I will have my friend back,’’ Ron said threateningly. 

Tom laughed a bit at that. ‘’I don’t think a maggot like you could do anything intelligent enough to save your pride.’’ 

Ron’s eyes seemed to widen at that and Tom then pushed him outside the door, ‘’I did do something, thank you for playing along. Oh, please do tell anyone, they won’t believe you anyways.’’ With that, he shut the door and walked back to where everyone else were. 

There he noticed Harry was away and only Lily was still in the living room, ‘’oh Tom. The others went to another room to have a meeting. I was just waiting for you to come and another and I will join them.’’

‘’Meeting?’’ Tom questioned. 

‘’Yes, these come by every now and then. It is like a club dear. You shouldn’t concern yourself with it though,’’ Lily explained with a warm but concerned smile. 

So, they were still having Order of the Phoenix meetings to this day. It explained why Dumbledore was here and why the fool had disappeared. ‘’Just don’t enter the dining room, I’m sure you have some books to read.’’ 

Then as if on queue there was a knock on the door and Lily excused herself, leaving Tom to try to think how to know what was happening there. That reminded him, where did Harry go. Had the boy been taken to join the meeting as well?

As he was curious who had joined Tom walked back to the front door and saw the familiar sight of Severus Snape. It wasn’t a surprise, the man was there, he had been a double spy through the war. 

Even if the man believed in the Dark ideals, his true loyalties lay with Lily. If the woman was in danger, the man would do anything. Even growl at a Dark Lords feet. Then as he was approaching the door he noticed the quite familiar hymn of his own magical signature from the man’s arm. 

The Dark mark, as he was now alive once more, it would be more darker. Meaning the Order would be in panic. 

They were aware he was back, in his need to gather himself back into his old prime he had forgotten an important detail. His magical core had now reached the level it was starting to affect his followers. 

Yet, it didn’t matter. They wouldn’t be seeing a threat from him in a long time, at least aware of them. Lily then noticed Tom walking up to them and in turn Snape only spared him a quick glance. 

A crucio would do the man some good later. ‘’Oh Tom, this here is Severus Snape, a good friend of mine. I’ve known him since childhood.’’

‘’A pleasure,’’ Tom said and eyed the man, he hadn’t changed much in the years. The smell of potions he carried around with him was as strong as usual. ‘’I’m going to head to my room,’’ Tom stated and walked past the two that then walked to the meeting. 

As he reached upstairs he went into his room and locked the door. He would ask Harry about the meeting later, right now he only wished he had his wand so he could make the Potion Master growl in pain for a moment. 

*****

‘’Now I welcome you all to this meeting!’’ Dumbledore bellowed around the room, him being on the end of the table. After Lily had joined they had started out instantly.

As the attention was drawn to the room it was obvious that Harry was feeling very awkward being forced to be there, still not having processed what had happened with Ron. ‘’I have called this meeting as I received some information pertaining information about the Dark Lord. Voldemort is back,’’ he opened it out. 

Unease settled on the room, everyone quite shocked at this news. ‘’How can you be so sure?’’ Sirius asked.

‘’Severus, if you may,’’ Dumbledore asked and the man then rolled up his sleeve and revealed the dark mark that was very prominent on his arm. A collective gasp was heard in the room and they all then knew that the Dark Lord was back once more. 

Lily then saw it fit to address the elephant in the room, ‘’I don’t think Harry should be here, I know why he should be aware of this but he is just a child. I agreed to the lessons and all, but I don’t agree to have him in the meetings.’’ 

Harry just didn’t comment on any of this, only absorbed the information. His mind had only froze for a moment, the Dark Lord was now back as well and his first target was him. ‘’I understand you worries Lily, but Harry needs to be prepared. He won’t be in the next meetings,’’ Dumbledore told Lily which seemed to ease some of her unease. 

‘’So, if the Dark Lord has returned, what does that mean? Do you think he will be making a move?’’ James asked, interested in what this all meant. The idea of a new war was completely frightening. 

Dumbledore shook his head, ‘’we do not know, but as Severus has informed me he hasn’t summoned his followers yet. He may be still recovering and gathering up his resources and I think so should we.’’ 

‘’Preparing for a war?’’ Sirius asked with a serious tone. 

‘’We need to be prepared for the worst, yet hope it never comes to that. We must do everything to make sure a war never breaks out,’’ Dumbledore stated simply. 

There was a silent agreement in a room. Then Dumbledore turned to look at Harry who seemed quite exhausted on the outside, ‘’Harry, I am sorry to spring this on you like this. I’m sure you can understand the importance you carry?’’ 

Harry then hesitantly nodded while looking at Dumbledore, ‘’I understand, but can I ask about something?’’

‘’Of course you can my boy,’’ Dumbledore agreed. 

Harry then paused for a moment, scared he might be asking too much, but steeled himself. ‘’Why isn’t Neville as focused on as me? Isn’t he tied to the prophecy as well?’’ Harry asked carefully. 

Lily and James tensed as Harry asked this question. It was something they had been avoiding for a while. Dumbledore then shared a look with the two and James sighed. ‘’It’s bound to come up later, he should know.’’

Lily then nodded, ‘’Harry you see there is something more to the stories.’’

‘’What do you mean?’’ Harry asked, confused. 

‘’Because.. Severus was a spy during the war, he had to take the Dark Mark in order to help us. When the prophecy came up the Dark Lord went mad, yet his efforts were only towards getting to us. There wasn’t any interest in Neville, only you Harry,’’ Lily explained sweetly.

Severus stiffened at this, thanking in his mind that Dumbledore hadn’t ever told the full story to the Potters. How he had brought the prophecy to Dark Lord, it was something that ate him up inside. 

Then Dumbledore continued the explanation. ‘’He chose you Harry and that was how the prophecy was solidified on you, creating a bond between you and him. We believe he only went to the Longbottoms to… get access to you.’’

Harry stayed silent for a moment then. Not really knowing how to process the information. ‘’I see…’’ he said quietly. 

‘’I think it’s time for Harry to go to bed now… He has gotten a lot of new information all of the sudden,’’ James said and then Harry nodded and excused himself. Lily seemed saddened that her son had to go through all of this even though he was only seven. 

Lily wanted to almost cry but held it in. As Harry exited the room she spoke, ‘’all the years I spent wishing that the Dark Lord was truly gone and now my worst fears are being realised right in front of my eyes.’’ 

James then hugged her softly, ‘’I know Lily… I know.’’ 

Then the room stayed silent for a moment to give the two some room, when they pulled out of the hug the conversation once more continued. Dumbledore coughed a bit, ‘’I don’t think any of us wanted the situation to be where it is now. Yet, we cannot forget the horrors we once witnessed and we cannot bring them upon the new generation to deal with.’’ 

He paused then, ‘’we must give our children the best future they deserve and Voldemort is the one who is standing between us and that goal.’’ 

A silent agreement resounded in the room. ‘’Talking about the new generation, Lily you mentioned Tom was a Shafiq?’’ Remus asked, finally speaking up. 

Lily did a slight nod, ‘’yes, we found this out a week ago. I asked you all to not mention this to him as it is better to educate him first on what this will mean for him in the future.’’ 

‘’The Shafiqs?! Aren’t they a family known for dark arts?’’ Sirius asked in a high voice. Apparently Remus hadn’t seemed fit to inform him about this. ‘’When I was a child I was told that the descendants of that line had disappeared completely and were considered extinct.’’

‘’Indeed it is known the Shafiqs are a well known dark family, yet we know the children do not mirror their parents at all,’’ Severus stated and looked at Sirius who seemed slightly hurt but realised that the man was correct in his statement. 

In the end, he was living proof of that. ‘’Looking at the paper we received from Gringotts his mother was a muggle without magical blood,’’ James informed. 

‘’How is Tom and Harry getting along?’’ Dumbledore asked, changing the subject. 

Lily then seemed to beam up a bit from her previous slum, ‘’quite well, I am actually surprised how well the two are getting along. I’m sure the snake as a project has brought both of them closer together.’’ 

‘’It is good for Harry to have someone here he can relate to,’’ Remus said with a smile. As they continued discussing the children they slowly moved back towards how they were going to be dealing with the threat that was Voldemort, but Dumbledore assured that it would be unlikely for the man to start moving instantly. 

With that the meeting was adjourned. 

*****

Tom got the alert someone was heading up the stairs. He was just reading one journal on Light rituals as he was disturbed. From how much time had passed it seemed Harry had been excused from the meeting. He listened and waited for the sound of a door opening and closing to come, yet it never came. 

There was just silence, Harry didn’t go back downstairs or into any room. Was he really just in the pathway, waiting. Finally Tom grew tired of waiting for the boy to do anything he opened his door, not seeing Harry there. Seeing the other boys door on the other side, it was still closed. 

He stuck his head out of the doorway and finally on his right, just next to his door he saw Harry, sitting on the ground. Tom didn’t really know what to do, the boy was all balled up, his back against the wall. 

With a light step Tom approached the boy. There were very silent hiccups coming from him. ‘’Harry?’’ Tom said, his tone quite neutral. 

Harry then lifted his head and noticed Tom was there, then he quickly got up and wiped his face clean, as if he hadn’t been crying. ‘’Sorry didn’t notice you there!’’ Harry said with a more perky tone. 

‘’Want to talk about it?’’ Tom asked, already regretting that question. Feelings weren’t his things, yet this was obviously a weak moment for the boy. 

Harry stiffened, ‘’I don’t think I should.’’ 

Tom smiled, ‘’remember what we talked about? You can trust me Harry,’’ Tom said while getting up to Harry’s height. It was weird that Harry was slightly taller than him, age was a bother. ‘’I’m your brother so isn’t it obvious if someone makes you sad, I will be there,’’ he added.

Harry stayed quiet, he wanted to speak it was obvious. It seemed there was something holding him back, as if he was pushed to keep everything to himself. ‘’Come, I have something for you,’’ Tom said sweetly. 

As he walked to his door, Harry followed him, interested in the offer. ‘’For me?’’ he asks carefully. 

‘’Remember that deal we made about pranking, I acquired you reward early,’’ Tom stated. As Harry had entered the room Tom closed the door behind them. As Harry sat on his bed, Tom went to his desk and opened the first drawer. 

‘’I’ve had this for a while now, actually I have two of them…’’ Tom said while pulling out a necklace. It was a simple silver necklace with the knots being little snakes. On the bottom there was an emerald jewel. 

Harry seemed very interested in the necklace, ‘’it’s amazing!’’ He gasped in amazement and reached out for the necklace. Tom let him take the necklace on his palm for a closer look. 

‘’It was something I inherited from my parents,’’ Tom stated. It was a lie, he had acquired the pair from Knockturn. It was enchanted with many spells, a lot of them dark. 

Harry then seemed to be even more enamoured with the necklace. ‘’I thought you didn’t have anything left from them?’’ Harry said. 

Then while Tom was taking out another one of the same necklace from his drawer he laughed a bit, ‘’well, you see… I kept them a secret. As they are very special to me.’’ 

‘’I see.. Wait you are giving this to me? Shouldn’t you keep it somewhere safe?’’ Harry said, trying to give the necklace back to Tom. Yet, Tom rejected it, ‘’keep it, I know you will keep it safe. Just promise me to never take it off.’’ 

Harry nodded fervently, as the necklace wasn’t too chunky it wouldn’t be getting in the way too much. The metal was very light as well. ‘’Should I put it on?’’ Harry asked, carefully. 

‘’Yes, but first, there is something that needs to be done first,’’ Tom said and pulled out a needle and poked the tip of his finger with it. Even if the procedure shocked Harry, he stayed silent and watched as a drop of blood dropped on Tom’s necklace. 

As the blood connected with the amulet, Harry saw the necklace disappear before his eyes. ‘’How did you do that?’’ Harry asked. 

‘’These necklaces have some enchantments ingrained in them.. They are binded to the user by blood, when bonded the people who have bonded with the necklace can only see them. Yours will work with the same way. When you blood touches the amulet it will be bound to you and only you and will be able to see them,’’ Tom explained. 

‘’How do you know this?’’ Harry asked, confused. 

‘’Before finding about my heritage I didn’t know the use of these necklaces, but when I entered the Heir vault of Shafiqs I saw more of them and the instructions. Without hesitation I took it with me,’’ Tom explained. ‘’It was used to identify other family members and to keep them safe.’’ 

‘’That is amazing Tom! Oh, I won’t tell my parents, this is your secret afterall,’’ Harry said with a smile. Then as Tom handed the needle to Harry the boy repeated the procedure as well. 

Then Tom proceeded to put the necklace on Harry and then on himself, ‘’happy birthday Harry.’’ He wished to his adopted brother. 

‘’Thank you! These are the best gifts I’ve ever gotten. These will be our secrets! We match all the time now,’’ Harry said, he was very energetic about the whole necklace thing. Tom smiled, knowing his plan had been successful. 

Harry was him. There were multiple charms on the necklace for protection, only activating on life threatening situations, wards to hide it from others. The blood magic in the necklace also made it so a wearer couldn’t attack the other, no matter how much they wanted. Removing them would need the initial contractors permission, now it was Tom, as he was the first one to use his blood on it. 

Harry was the secondary contractor, meaning he was tied to Tom. Also if the main contractor so desired they could transfer their magic to the other, now this was the main thing Tom wanted this necklace for. 

He could start slowly turning Harry’s magic to dark. As Harry was still growing it should also mold his personality a bit, not much or noticable, it all depended on what happened. Harry would think it all was happening without reason, just growing up. 

Tom would be there - giving a guiding hand. 

‘’So Harry,’’ Tom started, ‘’why were you in the hallway like that?’’ 

As the glow of the gift went down Harry realised the worries he had had previously. ‘’I just, was tired,’’ he tried giving for an excuse. 

‘’I don’t think people fall down and cry because they are tired Harry,’’ Tom stated, pointing out the obvious lie Harry was trying to pass off. ‘’What happened?’’

‘’I was just overwhelmed I think,’’ Harry stated. 

‘’Go on,’’ Tom nudged. 

Harry sighed, not really knowing what to say, his mind was a mess. ‘’Everything with Ron and then the Dark Lord… I just wish it would all go away…’’ Harry said quietly. His hands were fidgeting, trying to hide his emotional side, ‘’Ron, dad and mom, even Dumbledore all expect me to do something for them. They want me to be someone else. Ron wants me... ‘’ Harry said but he rest he stopped, not going further.

The wound was still fresh, ‘’Dad wants me to be stronger, smart and prepared, yet at the same time I can’t show him anything. I need to be aloof and pranks, but find time to study to be the heir he wants me to be. Mom wants me to be a normal child while keeping me in the dark, but I don't think it’s working.’’ 

Tom listened there, sitting opposite of Harry. It seemed the gates had opened. ‘’Dumbledore wants me to defeat the Dark Lord. Be the prophecy child!’’ There was a slight sob with a laugh, trying to push the hurt out, ‘’I didn’t wish for this. I don’t understand why the Dark Lord chose me…’’ 

Tom was taken back a little, he had chosen Harry? ‘’The Dark Lord chose you?’’ 

Harry then realised he had said something too much but that left quickly. ‘’Yeah, mom and dad explained to me that instead of Neville the Dark Lord had been going mad to find a way to come and kill me. Dumbledore said that that was how the prophecy solidified on me, instead of Neville.’’ 

‘’Interesting,’’ Tom muttered. 

Harry was bewildered by that response, ‘’it’s interesting?’’ 

‘’How magic works,’’ Tom stated. The way prophecy and magic worked it was truly odd. He wondered if Dumbledore’s theory was correct, but as the man was so intent on Harry, it had to be. The man may be old, but he wasn’t someone to push his efforts on something he didn’t believe to be true. 

Tom wondered if his magic was stronger, would he feel a bond between him and Harry. ‘’I guess, I’ve never really thought about it. Magic is just magic, it works it’s own ways,’’ Harry said, thinking about the statement for a moment. 

Skipping over the conversation about magic it wasn’t time for that, ‘’so the Dark Lord.’’ 

Harry frowned, ‘’he is back.’’

Tom’s face stayed neutral. ‘’That’s fine,’’ he said simply. 

Harry looked at him with slight worry, ‘’I know you read books about the war and about the Dark Lord. If he is back that doesn’t mean anything good, also he is after me!’’ 

‘’Wouldn’t he be here already then?’’ Tom asked. Harry stayed there for a while then, ‘’maybe he is unable to get in.’’ 

Tom shook his head, ‘’from what I read it wouldn’t take him much to get in here. Of course I do not know much of the fidelius charm, but the more Secret Keepers the more danger.’’ 

At this point Harry was just silent, ‘’I’m just scared. All the Dark Lord has ever been to me has been a bad man out to kill me. I’m just bound to kill him before I become one of his countless victims.’’ 

‘’You make it seem like the man is an animal instead of a human,’’ Tom noted, he really wasn’t arguing that his mind wasn’t blinded at the end of the war, yet he was still capable of thought. There were still the values and change he was fighting for. 

Harry shook his head, ‘’no, I know he was just a murderer! A crazy man who enjoyed killing and torturing others for his amusement.’’ 

Tom’s face went quite dark at that, of course the victors write history. It was ugly he was made to be just a boogeyman, ‘’why do you think the war was there?’’ 

‘’Because we needed to stop him?’’ Harry said simply. 

‘’The Dark Lord wasn’t attacking without a cause behind him. If he was just a crazed murderer, no one would’ve stood beside him,’’ Tom explained.

‘’But, what did he fight for then?’’ Harry asked. 

Tom shrugged his shoulders, ‘’I do not know.’’ It was something he shouldn’t know yet after all, there were too many gaps in his knowledge already. ‘’But Harry, do research on your own. Question what you are told. Ask the right questions, ask about why the Dark Lord fought so hard if you want to know. If people don’t give you the answer, dig deeper.’’ 

‘’Sounds like a lot of work,’’ Harry said with a laugh. 

‘’Work is needed to be free from others wills. If you don’t want to be someone trying to please others, find yourself. First step towards that is to learn. Learn about the world around you and form opinions without others affecting you,’’ Tom explained. 

‘’Otherwise you will only be a puppet, controlled by other people’s whims and desires. If you become that… Your dad and mother, even friends like Ron, will always expect more. They won’t be satisfied with who you are,’’ Tom ended. 

Harry seemed quite shocked. ‘’So basically, I need to walk my own path?’’ 

‘’If you put it simply yes. But it’s time to sleep Harry,’’ Tom said, noticing that someone was coming up the stairs. It was already the end of their conversation. 

Harry nodded with a slight smile, ‘’yeah… good night Tom. Thank you, for calming me down.’’ 

‘’Don’t let others bring you there again, that is the only thank you, you can give me,’’ Tom said back and watched while Harry walked out of the door and closed it behind him. There were voices on the other side of the door for a while but finally there was a sound of a door closing. 

Then finally Lily opened the door and wished Tom good night as well. Ending the long day.


	4. Chapter 4

Then weeks passed and the doubt inside Harry grew with his questions. His answers never gave him a proper answer as to why the Dark Lord fought and told him to stop asking about it. The boy tried asking Severus as well once but it seemed the potion master didn’t have time for the child at all. 

The lockup within the house had become more brutal. Harry wasn't allowed to go to Diagon Alley at all, but if he wanted anything Tom would get it for him with Sirius. Lily stayed inside the house a lot while James still went to work. 

Finally many months passed and no sight of Voldemort. The lessons with Dumbledore had gotten more sparse as the man wasn’t around a lot. Leaving James more time to teach Harry all he needed to know to be the heir. As Harry studied with James, Lily had taken to herself to teach Tom everything she saw to be fit for him to know. 

His weeks were quite dry and boring and as five months had passed Tom found himself bored. The progress with Harry and his knowledge was walled by the isolation they were in, at least the boy was becoming very attached to him. Being the only one allowed to leave the house was ideal, but only with an escort. 

That let Tom have some freedom in obtaining items that eased his life. He had even purchased some potions that allowed him to grow faster and accelerated his aging. It was a small change and he was taking them with a proper time between so his health wasn’t affected. 

Additionally he had managed to track down a few Death Eaters, but he had kept his distance for now. For now his goal was to get his old wand back into his hands. As he disappeared, he didn’t know where the wand ended up at. 

His blood ran cold at the thought that the Dumbeldore had the possession of his wand. Maybe his Death Eaters had managed to secure the wand. If Dumbledore knew where the wand was, he would expect him to head there instantly when he returned. 

The uneasiness with the Order indicated they didn’t know where he was headed now that he was back. That ruled out that they don’t have his wand. He had managed to catch the sight of Pettigrew a few times but that rat wasn't reliable enough to tell about him being in the Potter household.

It all leads to only one man who knows for sure where the wand could be located - Severus Snape. There were times when the man came by when James was at work and chatted with Lily. During those times, Tom tried to ask the man what he did and other things, yet he was ignored many times. 

It frustrated him. He needed to be alone with the man and so while he was having his tutor lessons he showed considerable interest towards potions. Finally after many months Lily brought it up when Severus was there. It was then that Lily mentioned the man taught in Hogwarts but if Severus had time in the summer he should show Tom around his potions lab. Thankfully Severus agreed on this, only because Lily had asked it.

Tom instantly agreed on this and waited till summer. While he was waiting he was planning and keeping tabs on what was happening with the Order. If he wasn’t out of the house or there wasn’t a meeting going on, he was usually hanging around Harry. 

Well, Harry was hanging out with him. Most times the boy came to his room suddenly, sometimes just to read or ask about things he was unsure about. It seemed his relationship with the Weasley had improved, but they never became as close anymore. Ron was still extremely angry towards Tom. 

Harry knew this and never forced the two spend time together much. There was also a time when Harry questioned if Tom had told Hydrus to do anything then, but Tom then told him that he only told Hydrus to behave. Harry had believed him then, it was quite nice to have Harry around him. 

It was surprisingly entertaining watching the boy come to his own conclusions and being so awed when he figured out something new. Tom started to notice that the parents were being very forceful towards Harry when it came to their beliefs. As Tom was filling the blanks in Harry’s knowledge, his parents were growing his suspicions. 

Now in the future Severus would be an additional pawn in this whole situation. An advocate for knowledge for young Harry. There could be no fiction the boy was being fed as he was quite intelligent and would figure it out sooner or later. 

His loyalty would need to be unshakable. Enough to abandon his family when the time came. 

Finally when summer rolled in and the visit with Severus finally was there Tom sighed a relief. Some days he was feeling as if he was wasting time just sitting around in that house. It was truly a prison and he was shocked Harry wasn’t more hateful towards his parents. 

When Sirius dropped Tom at Severus’ house, the Black growled insults towards the man.. ‘’You sure you are going to be alright with that greasy man?’’ he asked, there was more concern in his voice, causing a stark difference between his words and tone. 

Tom nodded, ‘’I’ll be fine Sirius.’’ It was thanks to his many visits to Diagon Alley he had become accustomed to talking with the man. He was very aloof and loud, but there was still that pureblood confidence with him. Although, if you asked the man about it, he would curse the purebloods and their cocky attitude. 

Then Sirius knocked on the door and waited for the potion master to come open the door. ‘’You know, it’s great you are interested in potions.. But don’t ever start living in a place like this, it’s shady,’’ Sirius stated. 

Tom laughed a bit in return. It was an interesting comment as Spinner’s End was where Lily Potter had grown up as well, but he had to admit the place was quite gloomy. Fitting for Severus. As he was musing inside his mind the man in question came to open the door, the man’s face dropping as he saw Sirius there. 

‘’Greetings Black,’’ Severus said.

‘’Snivellius,’’ Black responded. ‘’I’m here to drop off Tom, as Lily had other matters to attend to, I’ll be back in a few hours as planned.’’

‘’I see,’’ Severus responded and turned to Tom. ‘’Come in,’’ his tone tired and bored already, the man wasn’t happy he was forced to teach a child even during his time off. After Tom had walked in and Severus was about to close the door Sirius still chided. 

‘’You better not have poisoned him by the time I come back,’’ Sirius threatened, but was only responded with the door shutting tightly. Severus then proceeded to walk deeper into the house. Completely ignoring the comment Black had made, it wasn’t anything new from the man. 

Tom followed the man into the house, his whole body humming. As they entered the study that was surprisingly tidy, Tom took his chance. His hand quickly whipped towards Severus, ‘’expelliarmus,’’ he whispered. As the hand shot away from the potion master's hand Tom quickly called it to him. 

When Severus turned around in panic and confusion Tom was already in the possession of the man’s wand. ‘’Ah, I have waited for this,’’ Tom said as he caressed the wand. It humned with magic. 

‘’Where have you learned that you brat?!’’ Severus asked hurriedly and took a step forward. 

Tom’s face dropped at that and then the glow of the magic densing with him showed in his eyes glowing gold. He pointed the wand at the man, ‘’crucio.’’ 

Severus, being surprised for a second before the spell hit him fell to the ground. His body shook with pain and the only thing he could hear was a soft chuckle. It had been so long since he had felt a crucio. Finally when the pain subsided he looked up at the child who had just used the dark curse on him, ‘’how.’’ 

Tom grinned at the man. His whole body was burning with pleasure from the dark curse. There was a whisper in his mind to use the spell again, but it had used quite a bit of his reserves already. Using such a dark spell for the first time was a heavy burden for his magical core. ‘’I see that you are confused, but allow me to explain,’’ Tom started, relishing the confusion and desperation on the teacher’s face. 

‘’Where have you learned such a dark curse?’’ Severus panted out, the pain finally lessening. His mind thinking of a way to retrieve his wand from this child. 

Tom then took a step towards the man and grabbed his left arm and pulled back the sleeve. Severus tried to pull back but was still weakened by the crucio and was unsuccessful. As Tom stared at the familiar mark he brought the wand towards it, he couldn’t use the wand to summon anyone or inflict pain remotely, but it was good enough to make the man realise who he is. 

Finally when the wand pressed on the tattoo Severus flinched in pain and finally pulled away from Tom which brought an end to his misery. As he held his left forearm with his right hand the realisation of what had just happened sank to him. His eyes travelled to Tom and back to his arm. 

Tom stood there, waiting for the man to finish his thoughts and let it sink in. It was most amusing to watch him fall into despair as he realised what this meant. Finally it seemed as if Severus’ face returned to some neutrality. 

‘’Now, shall we have a chat?’’ Tom said, still holding firmly to Snape’s wand. Summoning a chair to him he sat down. Calling another in front of him with a table was simple, it wasn’t good to show any weakness now. 

Thankfully, having a wand made the use of his magic less exhausting. Simple tasks as summoning chairs and tables were now childs play. He waved for Severus to take a seat in front of him and so the man did, slowly. His gaze never leaving Tom. 

‘’Is it really you… my lord,’’ Severus asked, now more calm and collected. Tom almost admired the man how fast he had recovered, yet there was still a good amount of pent up anger he had put away for the past almost a year. 

‘’Through a weird turn of events I have ended up in this body,’’ Tom stated. Then he reached out to the pouch on his waist and took out a piece of paper and slit it towards Severus. The man then took the paper and read through it. 

When the man had finished Tom took out a pen and put it on the table, ‘’you must forgive me, but your loyalties are questionable and I won’t take a foolish gamble that you won’t go and tell everything to Lily Potter the instant I leave. I insist you will sign this…’’ he explained. It was a simple confidentiality contract that made the man unable to speak of anything pertaining Tom's true nature. 

When Severus hesitated a bit at the suggestion. "I realise the payment for breaking it are quite strict… But I find it better than killing the woman off. Also I have your loyalty already don't I… This shouldn't be an issue?"

Severus nodded and took the pen and signed the paper without wavering. When he was done he handed the paper to Tom who then deposited it to the pouch. "I'm sure you have some questions?"

"If I may be so crude, how did you end up in this body? Or are you just borrowing it?" Severus asked, hoping his worst fears were not true. 

Tom smirked, "Thomas Shafiq, yes this is me. I have been adopted by the Potter's into their lovely home… All you know about my history is true."

Severus stiffened a bit at that fact, "what is your plan with the Potter's?"

Tom waved his hand, "I didn't plan this, I just woke up in the orphanage one day and there they were. I took the convenient opportunity that was handed to me. Additionally it would be odd for a six year old to turn down a family wanting to adopt him."

"This was all a coincidence?" Severus asked, slightly surprised. Tom guessed the man believed he had somehow manipulated all of this. 

Yet, it wasn't all a coincidence. There was an obvious being in the background doing all the work for him, he was just there for the ride it seemed. His life had been overtaken completely, "it seems to be so."

As Tom tapped Severus's wand on the table the man's attention was brought to it. "My lord, what is your purpose in revealing yourself today?"

"My wand, where is it?" Tom asked. 

Severus stayed quiet for a moment, "you didn't deposit it before your disappearance?"

"No, it was quite sudden. I would prefer a straight answer next time," Tom replied.

"I do not know the exact place, but I know the Order is not in possession of it. They would be protecting it otherwise. I can ask Lucius if he knows," Severus provided.

Tom seemed quite irate, as he couldn't receive his wand instantly. "I hope you obtain it as quickly as possible," Tom stated. "For your own well being, that is."

Severus nodded, it was slightly odd for him to feel fear towards the boy he had been ignoring for the past year. "If I may inquire my lord… Why did you disappear? The war was going favorably for you, the timing seemed off." 

"It was…" Tom paused, the existence of Death himself would be something that would cause shock and disbelief. Also there was no reason to disclose the existence of his horcruxes. "Something I didn't calculate, but I assure you it wasn't an intentional disappearance."

"I realise my state of mind at the end of the war wasn't ideal. The reason why I was losing my sanity and my disappearance was tied, now I am whole again," Tom explained. 

Severus nodded, "I thank you for explaining this matter to me, my lord."

"I will be needing you to act as my excuse in the future for many things, so it's the least I can provide for your services. I wish your status at my side will be reinstated Severus," Tom said sweetly. "Now… How did the old fool let you go after the war, knowing you were the one to sell the Potter's out."

It was something that didn't add up from what he had heard from Harry. Dumbledore knew it was Severus that had provided the information for him during the war, but didn't rely it to the Potter's. 

Severus frowned. The man's posture slumped for a slight moment, it was obviously a sensitive topic - how amusing. "Dumbledore made me take an unbreakable vow." 

Now that was a shock, "what this vow entailed?"

Tom then watched as the man thought about his answer. Now the man wasn't forced to speak the truth. "My Lord, you must understand this is something I need to do no matter, because else my life will be forfeited. In order to explain what the vow entailed I need to know your plans for everyone in the Potter family."

Tom hummed, "very well." As the agreement came Severus's tenseness faded a bit, "now let's start with James Potter. The man is not of interest to me but if he interferes with my plans he will be dealt with appropriately."

"Lily Potter is a bit trickier, she is quite smart and could be of use in the future yet her loyalties lay deep within the Order. So if she ends up on the other side of the battlefield… I will dispose of her," Tom explained, then arriving at Harry. 

"Harry, the child of prophecy. Dumbledore believes I chose him, an interesting theory…." Tom drawled. "For now my plan is to teach him and make sure he becomes aware of the problems we face in our society. The problems Albus Dumbledore overlooks, the discrimination of the light side. I do not want the boy to grow up to be a simple minded fool."

He paused, realising he was a bit emotional. "I will make the Lights Savior into the advocate for the Dark."

Then he shrugged a bit, "if this plan fails and Dumbledore forces his ideologies to the boy I won't have any other choice but to get rid of him. Yet, I would think Harry would find it difficult to attack his brother."

Severus then nodded, ‘’the vow was to protect Harry.’’

Tom smiled, that wouldn’t be a problem then, ‘’perfect. Also I hope you will be behaving as normal when around the Potter’s and their acquaintances. Of course, if I notice any unneeded insolence…’’

‘’I understand, my lord,’’ Severus agreed quickly before the man got too trigger happy with his curses. Then his eyes traveled to the wand, the time had been passing at quite a pace and he did want his wand back before the mutt came back around. 

Tom noticed this stare and he then felt the wand, ‘’what are you current views on following me Severus? I know you joined my cause willingly… yet, it’s been awhile since I’ve been around.’’ 

‘’My Lord, my loyalties still lie with you,’’ Severus assures without a moment's pause. 

‘’When I disappeared how long did it take you to growell back to Dumbledore and beg for forgiveness?’’ Tom shot the question, not letting the man escape the questioning so easily. There was no answer from the potion master, as the question was loaded with danger. It didn’t help Tom’s eyes were glowing with magic and his hands itched to catch a new crucio. ‘’It seems I might’ve insulted you there, funny how that happens,’’ Tom started with glee. 

Tom then continued, ‘’I’ll give your wand back, but I will be coming here again in a week. By then I expect you to have my wand with you.’’ 

Severus straightened his pose and nodded, ‘’I will see it done.’’ 

‘’Excellent, here is your wand,’’ Tom stated and slid the wand on the table. As Severus reached for it Tom grabbed it more tightly for a moment, ‘’I dearly hope you retrieve my wand, for your well being…’’ then he let the wand go and pulled back his hand. 

As the potion master pulled his wand back there was a knock on the door, how fitting. It seemed the Black was a bit early, but that was understandable. ‘’Make sure to tell Sirius I will be back here in a week times,’’ Tom stated and then got up and walked to the door. 

Opening the door he saw the man on the other side, ‘’Sirius, aren’t you a bit early?’’

‘’A bit, but I felt uneasy letting you be affected by that man longer,’’ he stated with a solemn face. Then as Severus approached the door Sirius’ face dropped a bit. ‘’I hope it still was educational Tom,’’ he said instead of greeting Severus. 

Tom nodded, ‘’yes, it was very interesting to tour his facilities. I hope I can return once more.’’ 

Severus then saw it fit to jump into the conversation, ‘’yes, I have time next week if that works out.’’ 

‘’You want to be back here? Now that is a shock,’’ Sirius stated and looked at Tom in disbelief, ‘’you sure he didn’t make you drink a weird potion?’’ 

‘’Of course not, you’ll take me here next week I hope?’’ Tom asked, staring at Sirius in the eyes. It seemed the man really wanted to argue, but couldn’t find a good way to deny the boy. 

‘’If you want, same time?’’ Sirius asked and turned to Severus. 

‘’Yes, now go. I need to tend to some more volatile potions,’’ Severus said and abruptly shut the door, leaving Tom and Sirius on the other side. The Black huffed in frustration and walked away from the door. 

After a few seconds he turned to Tom and smiled a bit, ‘’well it seems it was fun for you, even if he has that nasty personality.’’ 

Tom smiled back and followed the man. ‘’It was indeed entertaining,’’ Tom said, what the Black didn’t know was that Tom saw it to be quite of a different encounter. 

*****

Severus Snape walked hastily to his fireplace and stepped in throwing in the dust, "Malfoy Manor."

Stepping out at the other end he dusted off his clothes smoothly, there was no time to pause. Then an elf popped to his view, "Mister Snape, what brings you here today?"

"Tell Lucius I need to see him, it's urgent," Severus stated and saw as the elf nodded and popped out. His mind was a mess and his body was still slightly switching from the crucio. This was the worst case scenario if anything. 

After a few minutes he saw the familiar man walk in to the entrance hall. As Severus's eyes hit Lucius' the Malfoy spoke, "Severus, I didn't know you were visiting today."

"Forgive me for coming so suddenly, but this can't be delayed at all," Severus stated with complete seriousness. Then Lucius nodded, but his expression was quite confused and worried. 

"It's fine, but what is it you want to discuss?" Lucius asked, not really knowing how to take this. He eyed the Potion master and noticed he was seeming very weak. 

Severus looked around and frowned, "could we take this to your study? So no one else can listen in."

"Of course, follow me," Lucius said and started walking towards his study. Severus followed the man, sorting out his thoughts on the way there. 

The Dark Lord had returned and he was back in the form of a child. Child, that had been adopted by the Potters, right under Dumbledore's nose. As well, his goal was to turn Harry Potter into his follower. 

It was slightly frightening. 

Then as they entered the study, they sat around the table and Severus allowed himself to relax a bit. Then Lucius opened the conversation once more, "now, what is that rattled you so bad that you rushed here unannounced?"

"Your arm, the mark. I'm sure you have noticed it darkening," Severus opened. Lucius tensed at that, knowing the implications.

"The Dark Lord, he is back once more," Lucius stated. "Did he summon you?"

Severus didn't answer that, as he knew the contract was perplexing. "Do you know where his wand is kept at?" his hand was tapping the hand rest on the chair. 

Lucius' eyes widened. "I don't know where it is, but I know who knows where it's kept," he explained. There was some roughness in his voice. Then he coughed to clear up his voice, "Bellatrix went to retrieve the wand at the end of the war, right after our Lord disappeared. Knowing his disappearance had happened at the Longbottom's, she shrieked that she needed to go there."

Snape nodded, "yes I remember her rashness when departing. I was the one to bring the intel after all. But I remember her also being taken to Azkaban and there was no wand to be found at the house."

Lucius frowned a bit, "it's as you say. Yet, as insane as Bellatrix may be, she is intelligent. I'm certain she found the wand and hid it somewhere so the Aurors couldn't possess it. The person who knows Bellatrix the best is of course my wife Narcissa, if someone were to know where Bellatrix hid the wand it would be her."

"I have a week to acquire the wand and get it back to our Lord," Severus stated gravely, "and I am not willing to risk another crucio…"

"Another?" Lucius asked, quite shocked. 

Severus bit his lip for a moment, realising he had dug a hole for himself. "How could you have awoken our Lord's wrath already? Or… Is he still as unstable as before?"

Severus shook his head, "nay, I had made mistakes towards him without knowing it had been him. A crucio was the payment I received. What comes to his sanity, he seemed more calm and composed."

That was the truth, as in the past the Dark Lord would've executed Harry Potter instantly only for being the prophecy child. If he had so much patience that he could live with the Potter's it meant he must be way more stable as before. 

"Whatever lead to him disappearing and coming back now, affected his mental stability greatly," Severus ended. Then after a moment of silence he returned the conversation back to where it had been, "figure out where the wand is as soon as possible. Contact me if there are any problems with it's retrieval."

Lucius nodded, "yes of course. I will make this my utmost priority. I would not dare to make our Lord wait."

"Thank you," Severus let out, his nervousness dropping a bit, yet there was still a good amount of uncertainty lingering.

*****

After a week had passed the promised date arrived. Severus went to open the door as the wards alerted him to the presence of visitors outside his door. Then there was a knock. 

As he opened the door, he noticed something was different this time. Firstly, there were three people instead of two. Black then greeted him, "I hope you don't mind Harry decided to tag along. Prongslet wouldn't stop whining about not getting outside and because Tom could come here…"

Sirius then shrugged, "well, teach him about potions as well."

At that the man pushed the two boys inside and Harry seemed to linger to Tom. "Hello Uncle Severus," Harry greeted. 

"Snape," Tom stated as a simple greeting.

Severus stepped and opened the way inside, letting the two boys pass. Then he turned to Black, "two hours once again? This time you'll stay on schedule I hope."

"We will see about that, also Lily insisted if anything seems amiss… You'll know how to contact her," Sirius said with a serious face. 

"Of course, now goodbye," Snape said and shut the door. As they walked in Severus looked at Tom, trying to see what was the plan with bringing the Potter boy with him. 

Then he noticed a slight amount of annoyance on the boy's face slip through and he realised he probably didn't have a choice in the matter. Severus hid his amusement that the Dark Lord was being ordered around by Lily Potter.

"Should we head into the lab then?" he questioned and then Tom chimed in. 

"Yes, but I promised Harry he could take a look at your library. He wants to read upon the history of the war," Tom stated. "We can head to the lab after, I hope that isn't an issue?"

"I see," Severus said and then walked towards the study, "the books are this way, my library is quite small I hope you do not mind."

"I'm fine with whatever!" Harry said happily as he followed the Potion master to the room. After they had left Harry there the two then went into the lab, so there was no chance of Harry hearing their conversation. 

As they entered the lab Tom spoke first, "do you have it?"

Severus then walked to a table and pulled out a box from the drawer. Inside was the wand, "as you requested."

Tom took the box and opened it. Seeing his wand brought a smile on his face. Taking it to his hand he felt his magic hymn with happiness. Then he flicked it and cast a few more layers of silence and soundproof wards around the room. "Where was it?"

"I contacted Lucius, as the last person who could've come in contact with the wand was Bellatrix. She had attacked the Longbottom residence after the night you, My Lord, disappeared. He then went to Narcissa who informed it could be in Bellatrix's vault as she had an emergency portkey with her, which could only carry objects in and out of her vault," Severus explained. "Narcissa has the right to access the vault as her closest relative, there they found the wand," he ended. 

"Good work," Tom stated. 

Then he went on and walked to a nearby chair and sat down. His hands caressing his wands, relishing in the feeling. "I need you to teach Harry about the war," Tom ordered.

"Teach him?" Severus asked, quite shocked by the proposition. 

"Yes, he needs to know more of why I started the war. All he knows right now is a bunch of propaganda by the Light side. If history is written by winners then the Light side has already sunk their teeth too far into the pages," Tom explained, a spiteful anger ringing in his tone. 

Severus straightened his back a bit, it was true that the Order didn't see what the Dark Lord had fought for. There was no mention of why Severus had joined the Death Eaters in the first place. "I understand, but… I apologize beforehand for my rudeness, how should I make it out to be?"

"Truthful, explain why you joined my army in the first place," Tom stated and got up and looked through the potions on the table. "Even now you are making some questionable potions… For example this one - Draught of Frenzy, a difficult potion to execute - used to make people hyperactive and in most cases causes some to go insane."

Tom paused, "it has been banned in Britain. Only because it hasn't been refined to what it could be, I'm sure this one is an experiment patch, I shall not ask more. It's your creation, afterall."

Severus nodded in acknowledgement, he had been working on that theory for years. This was only one of the many patches he had made. "The same goes with a lot of spells as well. The Dark Arts can be useful and a powerful tool to many who desire to use them. Nevertheless, even the research and academic proceedings have been banned. You are sacrificing your life by just trying to make another version of this, with countless others."

"Wizards who aren't naturally attuned to Light magic fair worse than those who are naturally inclined to it. They don't know any other ways and are then seen as worse, throwing away the potential talent. I won't even start with Muggles, as you already know the dangers we are exposing ourselves to," he breathed out, turning to look at Severus.

"Harry, I feel that he has great potential for the Dark Arts and many times he struggles with some of the Lighter magic. If there really is a connection between us it would make sense if his magic was inclined towards the Dark instead of Light," Tom said. "Yet he fears it because of his upbringing. So is the case with Lupin, he is in pain because he fears the animal within him. Yet he should be accepting it and so he would be happier."

"You are the only one who can teach these ideas to Harry and how the segregation and social excommunication has and will hurt the magical community in the long run," Tom ended. 

Snape nodded, "I understand my Lord."

Tom smirked, it really felt good to have the man listening to his every word. It was different than talking with Harry who adored him and the Potter adults who only saw him as an innocent child. 

"Additionally I will need to borrow your lab," he said and Severus tensed visibly. "Do not fret, I won't disturb anything, I will only set up my own cauldron on the side," he reassured the man. 

"The only task I need you to do is to tend to the potions according to my instructions," he added. 

"That is manageable," Severus agreed. Tom smiled and then got up to work, then he turned to Severus who seemed to be waiting for his turn to talk once more, "now go teach Harry, I will need silence."

Begrudgingly Severus left the room without much argument. He knew he could trust his instruments to the Dark Lord and not worry about him destroying anything. Still, it made him uneasy leaving anyone alone with them. 

When Severus closed the door Tom got to work. He had to work from his memory alone so it was going to be an uphill battle. In Hogwarts in the Chamber of Secrets there was a library filled to the brim with books Salazar Slytherin had wrote.

There were a few books about how the ability to parseltongue was tied to a wizards biology and dna. Slytherin had attempted a few ways to alter another human's body to speak the language, but all of them ended up being temporary. 

The longest results have been yielded by a potion, yet Tom would need a few tricky to get objects for it. Thankfully he had prepared for this and acquired a few of them at Knockturn alley while under disguise. The last few were deposited inside his vault, but he had a problem. 

The recipe needed basilisk venom, which Tom had only a few vials. Enough for three patches. If his theories were correct he would succeed on the third one, if he failed he would need to wait until he made it to Hogwarts. 

The venom was rare and only sold on the scarce black markets in Central Europe. So, it wasn't an option at the moment. 

The potion took a month to complete every time, so it would be a long way to get to the end. Nevertheless he had time to figure out the errors in the first two patches, just the fact that even Salazar Slyhterin couldn't perfect the potion. Needless to say, passing the ability outside the bloodline wasn't necessary to Slytherin.

Tom sighed, it was weird even in his mind he wanted to give the ability to Harry. It was a good way to keep their secrets to themselves and bond more. Yet, there was that lingering feeling that the kid should have the ability.

As if something was pulling him towards it and the last time he felt the same thing was when he had made the Horcruxes. There was the feeling of Death watching over him, maybe this was something Death needed to be done. 

He wasn't going to be going against Death, at least for now. Tom might fear death, but to overcome it he should become the Master of it. That was easier said than done.

He shook his head and focused on the potion.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It might take a bit of time before the next update but love yall <3

Finally his birthday came and the Potter's insisted on holding a small party for him. Just them and the Marauders. 

Seven, he had three more years before Hogwarts. There was no solid plan on his mind yet when it came to the future of Death Eaters and how he should go about another war. If he even wanted one to happen once more.

Pushing away the thoughts from his mind for a moment, he had received a plethora of gifts from the family and the Marauders. Lily and James had given him some good looking new robes, that matched the aesthetic that Tom was going for. 

They were mostly black with some occasional hints of yellow and red. Very Gryffindor like, it wasn't a shock. 

Sirius had given him a book on animagus, which was quite useful. It had tricks on how to prepare for the transformation and how to execute it. James wasn't very amused Sirius had introduced him to such a difficult subject so early, but Sirius just laughed it off and said it was only some preparation for the future.

Lupin had gifted him a story book, Tales of Beedle the Bard. Mentioning he enjoyed reading it when he was a child, Tom just looked over the book and shrugged it off. Not all the gifts could be fantastic, yet that feeling lingered once more. 

He thanked them all for the gifts and took them to his room. When there Harry entered the room, "umm Tom?"

Tom turned around and greeted the boy, "Harry, have something you want to say?"

Harry seemed to fidget a bit and then he took a step into the room and shut the door behind him. Then lifting his shirt a bit and then there was a book tucked in his pants. He then took a step forward and handed Tom the book, "I found this book in Snape's library… I kinda took it but I think it would be really good for you to read!"

Tom raised his eyebrow at this and then took the book. Reading the cover he realised it was about Salazar Slytherin, about his life and achievements. "You see… There it reads that he had the same ability as you to talk to snakes!" Harry said excitedly. 

"I'm shocked you had the nerve to steal from Snape," Tom stated and flipped the pages of the book. It was one of the books about Slytherin that was more scarcely available, as it had mention of the spells and darker deeds he did. Instead of damning the actions it explained the ideology from a neutral view. 

"Well, you two are always in the labs so I had some time to look around the house and there was a more excluded bookshelf in the back. They were all very dusty and hadn't even been looked at for so long!" Harry explained, "I'm sure he won't even notice it's missing."

Oh, he will, but it's not a problem, Tom mused in his mind. It was an old book, probably from Snape's family vaults. "Thank you Harry," Tom said and closed it and slid it to drawer. ‘’Just be careful of wandering around there, who knows what kind of traps Snape has set up.’’

Harry froze at that statement, ‘’I didn’t think of that…’’

Tom put his hand on Harry’s shoulder, the touch once more causing the warm feeling vibrate in his hand. It had been happening throughout the year whenever there was physical contact between the two. Even if Tom had gotten used to it, the feeling was still very peculiar and odd. ‘’Just be more careful next time,’’ Tom said with a warm smile. 

The feeling brought him calmness and helped him focus more on his thoughts. ‘’Wait… Harry can I hold your hand for a moment?’’ Tom asked and Harry complied. 

‘’Sure.. But why?’’ Harry asked, while offering his hand. 

Tom took the hand between his both hands and with the touch being skin to skin it was accelerated. The calm swept through Tom and he realised his mind had focused on the wrong things. Was it because he had been troubled by the place he had been thrust in, but his time had been spent very foolishly. 

His magical core was growing accelerated, but there he saw it. Harry’s core was so blooming with power and so were the two necklaces tying them together. It was quite beautiful actually, the pure magic moving between the two, binding them together. Not like it was pushing them next to each other, but the magic was so similar. 

‘’Umm, Tom? You went quiet all of a sudden… are you alright?’’ Harry asked, alarmed that his brother had gone silent for a few minutes all of a sudden. 

Tom smiled when he looked at Harry. ‘’I will make you mine and protect you,’’ Tom hissed. This boy had the power he had as well, the similar, yet there were some differences. 

He needed the whole prophecy, but it was held in the ministry. Yet, he didn’t know how he would react when he found out what it really meant. Would it prophesied his final moment and that this boy was the cause? ‘’Harry, can’t you feel it?’’ Tom asked.

‘’The tingling?’’ Harry asked confused while staring at his hand. ‘’Also what did you just hiss?!’’ 

Tom fiddled around with Harry’s hand. The feeling growing more with every individual touch, ‘’it’s quite odd isn’t it.’’

Harry frowned, not really understanding what was happening. ‘’I don’t think I’ve ever had this with someone else,’’ he mumbled. ‘’There isn’t even any mention of it in the books I’ve read!’’ 

‘’You’ve tried researching it?’’ Tom asked with a slight laugh. It was a surprise that Harry had tried to solve something on his own without Tom being there. Even if Harry didn’t admit it, he did rely on Tom a lot lately. ‘’I figured you hadn’t even noticed it.’’ 

‘’Rude, I had noticed it. Still I was quite scared to try to make it happen too many times, what if something bad happened?’’ Harry asked and he genuinely seemed worried about how much Tom was testing it out. 

Tom then stopped his hand, realising he was moving it around much more than he had realised. ‘’It’s a pleasant feeling, what could be the harm?’’ 

‘’One of us could start burning! Or worse, we could just turn into ash. No one knows really,’’ Harry explained, his mind going wild with the possibilities. Tom chuckled at the outrageousness at the accusations. It was true that there was a possibility of trying it too much could lead somewhere bad. 

As Tom pulled his hand back and got up Harry spoke, "you think there is a possibility you are related to Salazar Slytherin?"

Tom froze a bit and then shrugged, "maybe, but I don't think Shafiqs are related to him. It's something to look into…"

Harry then poked Tom to his side and when turned around with a mad expression on his face Harry laughed. "You didn't tell me what you hissed about!" he accused. 

"Nothing you need to know," Tom stated firmly. "Come, they must be waiting for us to return to the festivities."

Harry didn't pry about Tom's hissing anymore at that and just followed his brother down the stairs. Even if Tom was annoyed at Harry's carefree attitude, his mind was focusing on making a plan to invade the ministry. 

Now that he had his wand it should be easy to get there. Yet, obtaining the prophecy itself was tricky. Either he or Harry to be the one to retrieve the prophecy from the ministry. Sneaking inside unnoticed would be tricky, especially as the Hall of Prophecies was on the 9th floor. Within the Department of Mysteries.

After the party had ended Tom was helping James clean up the plates as Lily and Harry cleaned out the living room. "Hey, would it be possible for me to go and see the Ministry one day?"

James turned to Tom, his face full of confusion. "Interested where I work at?"

"Kind of, also politics interest me," Tom explained smoothly. 

James laughed, "well if I know anything about politics it's just old men sitting in a room getting their cloaks in a twist about something minor. I don't think it's a good career path to take if you don't want to die of stress."

Tom shrugged and placed one more plate to the sink. Grimacing a bit at the Potter's insistence to do things the muggle way, "I want to change things."

"You could become an auror like me!" James suggested.

"From what I understood you only take in criminals and hand them to the court. I want to make sure the judgements are fair and other things…" Tom mumbled the end. 

James hmm'd and continued washing the dishes for a while when he thought about it. "I'll think about taking you with me to work someday and let you have a tour around the place," James conceded. "But no promises!"

"Of course," Tom agreed and continued gathering the dishes and cleaning up the table. After they were done Tom left to go to his room once more, but he decided to go check on Hydrus first. 

As he opened Harry's door he saw that the boy was in there already. "How's Hydrus?" he questioned and went to kneel over the terrarium on the floor. 

The snake seemed pleased, Harry must've just given it attention. "I just fed him, as he shed his skin a few days ago he must've been waiting for the meal for a while," Harry explained. 

Tom smiled, "Hydrus is growing quite quickly, doubled his size from last year already. As expected for a magical snake."

Harry nodded but didn't answer just stared at the snake. Hydrus was already a meter long and half an arm thick at most, they had already upgraded the place he lived in to a larger one. 

Tom noticed the silence and looked at Harry, only lifting his eyebrow to question what was on the boys mind. Just a few days ago they had visited Severus and that was when the man had explained his point of view to Harry. "Tom… Why was there a war?"

"What do you mean?" Tom questioned. 

Harry frowned, "isn't Dumbledore trying to make sure everyone gets to live in peace and so no one gets hurt? Then why was there a need for a war… Couldn't everyone just talk it through?"

Tom chuckled softly. Indeed, Harry was still a naive child. "When you set out to accomplish something, will you be happy with just making it half way?"

Harry frowned and shook his head, "no I wouldn't give up before I got it done fully. I understand what Voldemort aspired to change yet… I can't say the way he did it was justified."

Truly it was another problem to get Harry understand why blood needs to spilled sometimes. "Change doesn't come without a sacrifice," Tom said quietly. There was never any desire within him that wanted to spill magical blood, but he knew he enjoyed the more brutal aspects of war. 

"I just don't understand one thing," Harry breathed out and Tom turned to him and waited. "What happened to Voldemort. What I understood from Snape, he was different in his youth and with age he started going insane."

Tom's eyebrow ticked. He did tell the man to be free with his opinion and the explanation. "I did discuss the same things with Severus before, what did you think about his ideologies?" he asked instead, drawing the conversation in another direction. 

"I'm still trying to think it all through… you know, the Dark Arts are banned for a good reason?" Harry said.

"I think magic shouldn't be banned out of use entirely because of it could be used for bad. Banning even the concept of using some spells eliminates the idea of free will and leaves us just following the pack," Tom explained. "Nothing new can be made as we are so restricted. Half of our magic is gone."

"I think I understand," Harry stammered out after a moment of thinking. "But what about spells just used for harm?"

"There are such spells in the Light category. For example bombarda, its main use was to explode structures but could easily be used to inflict pain onto others," Tom explained. "Still it is widely taught in schools."

"Um, but why are the Dark Arts banned then? I always figured it was because it was of the harmful nature?" Harry asked, quite confused. Tom wasn't shocked the boy had never thought about what he was taught.

"Because… The Dark Arts can corrupt the user and cause irreversible damage. But if it's controlled and honed to perfection the Dark Arts can be a powerful tool without ever harming someone," Tom explained. "I also read that the Dark Arts are more tied to the users intentions than just using a spell and it does it."

"I don't understand that end," Harry moaned.

"Casting lumos is simple, you know the incantation and wand movements, so there is light. With Dark Arts… for example crucio to work the caster has to want to inflict pain on the target. Some cases even report the curse gives the caster a sense of euphoria, causing a spiral if not controlled," Tom explained.

Harry's eyebrows furrowed, "so because Dark Arts can have the user go insane it's banned?"

"Put simply, yes," Tom agreed.

"Makes sense, even Voldemort got controlled by it," Harry said with a shrug. Tom froze And turned to look at the boy and inside he seethed but he couldn't say Harry was wrong. He had been controlled by the Horcruxes instead he them.

It pissed him off. "There might be other circumstances that came to it. In the end he was the Dark Lord, he was the master of the Dark Arts."

Harry stared at Tom, "are you defending Voldemort?"

Tom looked at Harry in the eyes for a while after that, but didn't answer just let the question lingers. Even if he answered it, this would come back to him later on. "Do you want to know what they said in your prophecy?"

"Well of course, I only know it's something that's related to me destroying the Dark Lord," Harry said, his tone shaky. 

Tom smirked, "want to sneak out?"

"Wait today?!" Harry gasped out.

Tom got up and walked to the door, "Lily and James are already sleeping and I know a way out of here without alerting them," Tom said with a devious smile.

"Well, I haven't been out for a while… will we get in trouble though?" Harry asked carefully. 

Tom reached his hand to Harry, "we will definitely get caught, but they won't know where we went." 

Harry then hesitated for a moment but in the end took the hand presented to him. As Tom was at the head of the stairs Harry stopped, "I know what we should take with us!""

At that Harry went into the study full of gear and Tom waited outside, when he came back Harry had a cloak with him. "Is that an invisibility cloak?" Tom asked, shocked that Harry knew where to find that. 

Harry nodded eagerly, "it's been passed down the Potter family for centuries. My dad showed it to me a few years ago, but he told me he would give me it when I got to Hogwarts, but he didn't notice I saw where he hid it."

Tom raised his eyebrow, weird that the cloak was still usable as the cloaks usually lost their power through years. "Good idea to take it," Tom said silently.

Then they rushed downstairs and walked slowly to the door, opening it. As they went through the door Tom took out his wand and cast a simple ward around them. In his right hand was a tuft of Lily’s hair which projected the ward, mimicking Lily’s magic signature. It was a simple trick to fool a ward that someone who was inside was going through it, short circuiting it. It didn’t work the same with going inside a ward, as the trick just removes the anomaly. 

You can’t get inside, only out. Also it only worked to magically bonded wards like this one, family wards wouldn’t let him exit like this as they had more layers than the Fidelius charm. 

Harry stared at Tom’s wand in confusion, ‘’where did you get that?’’ he whispered. 

‘’Stole it from Snape’s house,’’ Tom stated simply. When they were a good distance away from the house Tom stopped and turned to Harry.

"So… where are we going?" Harry asked, "it's quite hard to get anywhere from here…" he looked around, nervous that someone might spot them.

Tom had made sure there wasn't any other magical trace around. "I learned a trick…" Tom said and then grabbed the cloak from Harry's hands. "Let's put this on first, so no one will see us."

As he put on the cloak he noticed it was truly very powerful, fascinating. He had never heard that there was such an artifact passed down the Potter family. "Now, this might feel bad," Tom said and gripped Harry's wrist tightly.

As Harry was about to open his mouth to ask what Tom meant he felt his body being pulled. As Harry had already felt the side along apparition, he knew how bad it felt. When they landed he looked around under the cloak and recognized the familiar street of London. 

"Wait… how do you know how to apparate?" he asked, shocked. 

Tom smiled, "I'll tell you one day. Now let's get in, go into a stall and well… flush yourself. Take the cloak, I'll be fine. Use this to open the stall." As he finished explaining he handed Harry a golden coin, he had stolen a few from James. 

Harry nodded and Tom then left the cloak. "Wait for me inside, I'll find you," his whisper was quiet but Harry should still be nearby to hear it. Then with a quick step Tom entered the stall with a coin of his own and flushed himself down. 

As his feet hit the ground he paced quickly and looked around to see any dangers. The atrium was very quiet as everyone had gone home for the day, then he spotted one auror on guard duty. Swiftly he drew his wand and pointed it at the guard, before the man could realise what was happening the red spell had already caught up to him. 

As the spell took effect the man's eyes went glassy. "Take me to the hall of prophecies," Tom stated and the man nodded. Then Tom turned around when he heard the familiar sound of someone arriving at the ministry. 

Tracking the sound he went to the empty space where someone should be, "come, follow me, I got someone to help us get there. But first let me under the cloak as well."

Then as if on queue Harry lifted the cloak, revealing his face only a little. "Who is helping us?" Harry asked confused. "Also, isn't this the ministry?? How did you even know-"

"Ask later," Tom said and pulled the cloak on him as well and walked towards the auror and ordered him to start moving. "Follow him, we will get there," Tom stated calmly and his voice was just a whisper, "don't answer, keep as quiet as you can."

As they walked they reached the elevator and the man pressed the button to the 9th floor. When the elevator doors once more opened Tom felt Harry's breath on his neck, the boy was nervous. As they started walking once more the hallway stretched out before them. 

Finally they reached the oval room reaching to the hall of Prophecies. As they entered the room Tom let out a sigh, thankfully it had gone without problem. Still, he needed to get rid of the auror later, he ordered the man to stay still as he took the cloak off. 

Turning to look at Harry he realised the boy was admiring the shelves full of the glass balls. "Your prophecy is somewhere here," Tom said. 

"But there is so many, how will we find it?" Harry asked confused. But Tom smiled, "it's quite simple actually."

He drew his wand once more and held it in front of him, "point me Harry Potter prophecy." As he finished his sentence his wand circled around for a moment and then stopped to point forwards down further into the hall. "This way," Tom said and started walking forwards.

Harry then hesitantly followed Tom. "How do you know all of this? I'm sure we aren't supposed to be here…" Harry mumbled, his voice shaky. 

"Indeed we aren't supposed to be here," Tom stated. 

"Why did that man help us anyways? Did you plan this? Tom answer me!" Harry insisted. He pulled on Tom's arm to stop his brother. 

Tom raised his eyebrow, "aren't you happy to be able to know what everyone is hiding from you?" he asked confused that Harry was so mad at him. He was only giving the boy answers and giving him an opportunity to learn. 

"This and… so much more. If you truly knew about the magical community… None of it makes sense," Harry said, "even if it's been a year. I've noticed things, you are hiding so much more than you are showing."

Tom turned back around and started walking forwards, pulling his arm from Harry's grip. "This is not the place for this," Tom said simply, trying to end the conversation. 

Harry frowned but followed, yet didn't say a thing while walking, only staring at the back of Tom's head. After they had walked down the hall for a good while the wand finally turned to the left. "It's here," Tom breathed out. 

Harry snapped out of his thoughts and followed Tom down the aisle. Then there was the orb stating, "S.P.T. to A.P.W.D. the Dark Lord and Harry Potter." When reading it Tom's breath stopped for a moment. 

This was it. 

If he was honest, he didn't think they would make it this far without being noticed. His goal was to run in and get caught, then tell the Potter's about how it was just a childish endeavour. 

Odd, he only now realised how emotional he had been about this. The only thing that snapped him back to rationality was accomplishing his goal. He should make sure later to clean up everything properly. 

Before he could take the orb Harry already had it in his hands, his eyes boring deep into the mist. As they cleared up Tom took the sphere quickly out of the boy's hands. "I… Why…" Harry stammered.


	6. Chapter 6

As Harry's eyes cleared up Tom took the sphere quickly out of the boy's hands. "I… Why…" Harry stammered. 

Tom didn't answer but looked into the prophecy himself. 

The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches... born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies... and the Dark Lord will disappear while the gatekeeper falls… and when the Dark Lord rises once more the hands of faith will turn… and the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will know the power the Dark Lord knows not… and if the two unite or oppose each other, the world shall mold into anew. All will be decided when the bond is formed.

Tom's face solidified when he finished listening to the prophecy. What does it mean when it says 'the world will mold into anew', is Harry the piece to his downfall or his uprising? Nevertheless, the boy will have powers that will rival his, Harry could take him down one day.

He would be dead. 

His eyes glanced to the boy before him, his mind running through the possibilities of this boy causing his death. Right now was the most fatal moment for him, one deadly strike would end it. 

The magic around him condensed as the fear instilled in his body. He quickly took hold of Harry's wrist and pulling the boy to him. As the grip fastened the magic that was before aggressive now soothed down, as if it were given tranquilizer.

"TOM!" Harry yelled, snapping Tom back to reality. Now that Tom really looked at the boy he realised Harry was shaking a little bit.

Then he released the grip and took a step back and quickly turned his back to Harry. "Hey! I was calling for you a good minute there but you didn't notice! Then there was this pressure all around me, are you listening?!" Harry kept yelling. 

"We need to go back," Tom said, still his back turned but then he turned around and attempted to walk past Harry. Yet he was stopped as the boy stepped in front of him, stopping him from getting further.

Harry looked Tom straight to his eyes. "I need answers and if I don't I will tell my parents what I've seen."

Tom laughed, "if you do that you will be as guilty as me, are you willing to spend the rest of your life in that house? Being watched at your every move and never getting freedom?"

"That there is why I'm so confused! Sometimes you turn into a different person completely and I feel like you I know from the past year is not the real you," Harry said. 

Tom straightened his pose, "you will not tell them." 

Harry's eyes watered and Tom just raised his eyebrow. "Just tell me one thing that is real so I can believe you."

Tom sighed and pulled his hair back. It was frustrating that this boy was the only thing that was a loose end. "It's pointless," Tom said simply. 

"Pointless? Maybe to you, but not to me!" Harry insisted. 

"Think it through Harry. Why risk your future when it's right in front of you. You were told that you should take down the Dark Lord but apparently you can actually decide," Tom explained.

"Do this now and you forfeit that choice," he ended. 

Harry frowned, "I won't side with the Dark Lord."

"Because he is the boogie man?" Tom said with a chuckle, his tone condescending. 

A momentary silence fell as it seemed the pieces in Harry's head fell to their places. "Is that why you have been pushing me to learn about the war? About the Dark Arts?"

When Tom didn't answer Harry continued. "Do you want me to pick the Dark Lord's side? Did you know about the prophecy?

"I didn't know what it said," Tom stated, giving some clearance to Harry's mumbling. 

"Then why? I need to know Tom, I want to understand," Harry pleaded his tone desperate. "When you came into our house I didn't know how to feel… But I was happy when I got to know you, but if that was all just for a cause like getting me to turn evil? I… would feel betrayed."

Tom wanted to just obliviate the child and deal with this later. If he did that he would have more time before this conversation. "How much do you know about muggles?"

"They don't have magic?" Harry answered. 

"About their society, their values and how they treat others?" Tom asked once more.

"I… don't know much. I would imagine it would be like the magical society?" Harry stammered out. "How does that ha-"

"The reason I was impaled on that fence that day," Tom started, "it wasn't as the news said it was. I didn't think I could fly. I was pushed, I was pushed to my death that day. I am not supposed to be here."

"Wait, what?" Harry said. 

"Every day I was in that orphanage I was excluded, beaten up and bullied. The matrons of the orphanage knew this and yet, they didn't do anything. Muggles don't care about people different than them," Tom explained coldly. 

"They only care about their own benefit. When I laid on that fence sticking from my stomach, the people that pushed me came to see me. They didn't regret it," Tom stated. "I'm sure the same is happening in the magical community, people being killed for being themselves. Magical creatures or practitioners of Dark Arts."

"Dumbledore doesn't care about magical children who die because of injustices like mine. I was supposed to die, but I'm going to make sure no one else has to," Tom ended. It was true, he knew the emotions Thomas had felt before the boy died. The burning hatred for the group of children who had made his life hell. 

Thomas yearned for revenge, like Tom did in his time in the orphanage. Thomas just didn't have the power to execute the revenge plans like Tom did. To climb to the top and take justice into his own hands. 

"I will make the future better, can you understand that?" Tom said.

Harry hesitated but nodded. Tears were falling slowly from his eyes but he wasn't sobbing. No, the boy still had his composure. As Harry wiped the tears from his eyes his face solidified to one full of determination, "one day you will tell me how you learned all that. I'm not saying I'm aboard the Dark Lord train yet, but I support you Tom."

Tom smiled. "Good. But Harry, understand that the path I will lead won't be peaceful. I won't be scared to take those who oppose me down."

As Tom finished the sentence Harry's body shivered a bit. "Tom I don't want you to kill anyone," Harry stammered out.

"What if they deserved it?" Tom asked. 

"No one deserves to die," Harry argued.

"What about the person who pushed me off the ledge? Do you think they deserve to live?" Tom asked his eyes flashing with magic. Then as he finished he heard footsteps coming their way. "Cloak, now."

As he said that Harry pulled the cloak without hesitation. It wasn't going to help much as the Auror's had gear that detected magical traces. Tom held his finger before his mouth as the footsteps came nearer and nearer. 

When his eyes met the guard's own he pulled out his wand. Then as the guard was a few feet away, he pulled the cloak off them. "Stupefy," Tom said and the auror was then quickly on the ground, unconscious.

"Now, run," Tom said and pulled Harry with him towards the door they came from. As the imperiused auror came into view Tom ordered the man to start leading them out of there. 

Before they left the room he put the orb of the prophecy into his pouch. Checking his clock he made an estimation that they had about two minutes to get out of there before the next check in with the auror.

After the check in they would issue a search for their last whereabouts which would take another minute, depending how close the next guard was. He then picked up the pace, it would be better to be early than on time.

Yet, if the auror was seen coming from the hall of prophecy… he turned to the auror and issued a new order. "Harry look the other way," Tom said and Harry looked in confusion, "now, I'm not asking." 

When Harry obliged Tom took off the cloak and took the man's left arm. Thankfully the imperious should throw off the pain, "morsmordre." It was a whisper so Harry couldn't hear what he was saying.

As the spell took effect the man shook a bit but soon enough there was the familiar mark on the arm. Then with the final orders on how to act the Auror walked away.

As the man turned around and walked away Harry looked at Tom in confusion. For now he ignored it but continued walking, pulling the cloak back on him. "Just walk, I'll explain later."

As they finally made it back to the Atrium Tom rushed to the apparition point and pulled Harry alongside him into one and apparated out. As his feet hit the ground he pulled the cloak off them. He looked around and saw the familiar orphanage, it was a pitstop but it was needed. 

Talking about Thomas's past, made him realise he should give the late boy one more gift so his rest will be peaceful. 

"Tom, what did you do back there? What happened?!" Harry asked immediately as he got over the apparition sickness. 

"That man wasn't helping us willingly. I used a spell to make him do those things for me," Tom explained, Harry would find out anyways from the Order eventually. 

Harry laughed, "that other auror will be alright? Right?!"

"Of course, she was only unconscious," Tom stated simply. Harry then sighed in relief. 

"But that man, why did you do that to him? Isn't that spell…" Harry asked his mind trying to find the exact spell Tom had used. 

"Imperio, one of the unforgivable spells. Used to manipulate another to execute your will. But that man, he was already tainted," Tom explained with a cool tone, not fazed at the implications. 

Harry gasped, "but that spell is banned! Wait no, what you mean by tainted?"

"He was a Death Eater, a follower of Voldemort. Probably had already killed multiple people while under the mask of an honest to good auror," Tom explained. Then he dusted his clothes and walked through the familiar courtyard of the orphanage. 

Harry followed Tom, but after looking around for a moment he recognised the place. "Wait we are at the orphanage we picked you up at," Harry said. 

There was no answer to Harry, only determination in Tom's steps. Then at the doors Tom turned around to face Harry, "if you want to stay out of this, it's now. You come in with me, I won't give another choice. This is it Harry. Trust me or stay in your fake reality where nothing bad ever happens."

"I need more answers Tom," Harry said weakly. 

"I've given you all you need," Tom said. He then opened the door and walked in, leaving Harry standing on the other side. 

Harry hit the wall next to the door and thought about everything that happened that day. All he was left with was that he didn't want to lose Tom, the only person that had reached out to him and pulled him up. 

Even if Tom had made the fall out with Ron happen, it had made Harry understand that Ron was only after him as a friend because of his status. Now he only heard from Fred and George was how Ron said Harry had let the prophecy get to his head. 

Even if Tom was violent and rash, maybe hiding things from him - wasn't he genuinely trying to help him? 

Steeling his resolve he walked through the doorway and inside the orphanage. If he wanted to find out what was going on with Tom, he would need to first make sure his brother didn't do anything he couldn't back out from.

Harry was the older brother in the end. He should be looking after Tom.

"Good, now follow me," Tom said, when leaning against a wall nearby. Harry stammered a bit when seeing that Tom was waiting for him, as if he knew Harry would follow him.

He groaned in annoyance and followed Tom up the steps, until they reached the third floor. When he entered the room, there were two boys sleeping in their beds on the opposite walls of the small room. 

Tom quickly cast some silence wards around the room to make sure no one came. "The one on the right is Jack, the one who pushed me. On the left is Trevor, the one who never did anything but made others do the dirty work," Tom explained in a whisper. 

"Who do you think is worse?" Tom asked Harry his eyes observing the others expression. 

Harry frowned and stared at the two one by one, "they are children."

"Children who tried to kill me," Tom stated, "and have made other people like me lives miserable. Or would you like to wait and see when they kill someone else?"

Harry opened his mouth to object but closed it. "Harry, when you walked through that door I thought you would leave those naive thoughts behind," Tom said and stepped forwards. 

"What are you going to do?" Harry asked, watching Tom approach Jack. 

Tom smiled and took a hold of Jack's right arm. "Not much, just making sure they can't do it again," he said with a creepy innocent smile. Then he raised his wand and cast a silent spell. 

A red light flew from the tip of his wand and to the base of Jack's shoulder, seeping into his body. As the spell took effect the lines of muscle tissue lit up and finally died down. "What is that spell?" Harry whispered.

Tom got up and now turned to Trevor, "a curse that damages the nerves of a limb for a prolonged time that if not dispelled makes the limb unusable. He will be in pain, but not deadly."

"I see," Harry stated simply. "Then to Trevor?"

"I'll let you decide…" Tom said and turned to look at Harry. 

"He is the ringleader? If Jack lost his arm, then what is fitting for Trevor?" he asked and took a step towards Harry. 

"Please, I can't decide…" Tom pleaded. 

Harry looked back and forth from Tom to Trevor but in the end he just stared at Tom. He could feel the others breathing, it was soft but the gaze bearing into Harry's eyes was different. 

The eyes were demanding, powerful and… Almost hungry. "His vocal cords, can't give orders when you can't talk," Harry suggested.

"Good good… but he can still write," Tom countered.

"The moment people see that he is weak, he will be struck down from the power position," Harry said and Tom's eyebrows lifted in surprise.

"Indeed, but he will still have his physical power that lead to him overpowering others," Tom left. 

Harry looked at Trevor, "make him ugly like a pig he is."

Tom stepped back and bowed a little, "thank you for the lovely idea."

Then Tom leaned over to the boy and cast the same spell on his vocal cords he had cast on Jack's arm. After he walked to Harry and conjured a candle on the table next to Trevors bed.

"It would be a shame if these flames woke them up…" Tom said and pushed the candle over, adding another spell that made the flames travel faster. 

Then as the fire started spreading Tom took Harrys and apparited them outside. As the light from the flames shone brighter and brighter, Tom finally let go of the privacy wards. Releasing the silent screams that could be heard to the courtyard. "Well, Harry. I think it's time for us to go," Tom stated and started walking away. 

"Yeah…" Harry said and followed Tom, but he still took a final look at the burning orphanage. 

It was so bright and became brighter by the minute. "Don't you want to watch it?" he asked Tom. 

"Do you?" Tom asked back and then looked around and there was one high building close by. They could watch it from there. 

Apparition to the top of the building was quick. There they saw that the flames had reached the roof, burning a small hole for the smoke and flames escape from. Harry stepped to the ledge and sat down, dangling his legs over. "Tom, I hope you can trust me to tell things," Harry said, "I want to help."

"I was expecting you to start yelling and accusing me again," Tom said with a slight laugh and stepped closer to Harry but keeping himself upright. 

Harry laughed then too, tired from the long day. "I want to," he said, "this is… horrible." There was a pause for a sigh, "yet the flame is so beautiful. It's cleansing the past crimes and horrible, I just hope you feel better now."

Tom stared at the flame and thought from Thomas who now would be in peace. "I think so," Tom stated. This would count the debt to Thomas done, for Tom having his body now.

Harry nodded after looking at Tom, then back to the flames again. "I've always liked flames," Harry said. "They remind me of the time when I'm safe and warm. I glance into the fire and I see dancing of the ash flying in the air."

Tom just listened to Harry, the warmth of the flames were reaching even them. Thankfully it was a cool summer night, yet he felt the front of his body being dipped in the warmth. "It's odd, I want to yell and ask you for answers. I'm calm. As if some kind of switch was turned when I walked through that door and…"

"Decided on their faith?" Tom added. 

"On their judgement," Harry said with a laugh. 

"It's naive to think we can put out judgement on other people. Some may say we are as bad as they were for punishing for their crimes and not reporting them. If we let the weeds grow in a flower bench it will kill all the flowers around, it won't just turn into another flower," Tom explained with his cool tone, it was times like these he hoped he had gone through puberty already.

"It's better to just pick it out," Harry said.

Harry turned to look at Tom. His green eyes lighting up with the fire behind him. It felt like those eyes saw to the deepest depths of his soul. "We can make the magical community better," Harry said softly, "but I need to know who you really are."

When Tom didn't answer Harry got up and challenged the others eyes. "I can't, first, your mind is like an open book," Tom said simply. 

To answer Harry lifted the necklace, "doesn't this give me some sort of protection?"

"Mind magic doesn't work like that," Tom countered. 

"Then teach me," Harry insisted. "If knowing who you are is dangerous couldn't someone else peace that together from my memories already?"

"They don't have the need to invade your mind," Tom explained, "if there is a solid wall in front of your mind all of a sudden, now that would make sense to put up resistance."

Harry frowned, "is there any other way?"

"No, the old fool will be suspicious anyways… You are the prophecy child and the prophecy tells about a bond…" Tom explained but trailed off. 

"We use the prophecy," Tom gasped out and walked for a bit piecing it together.

"What do you mean…?" Harry asked. "Also old fool? I don't think Dumbeldore deserves to be ca-" 

"He is old and a fool, it fits," Tom stated simply. "Give me six months Harry, I'll have everything we need. Then you'll know, till then… don't think about this night again. At least not what really happened. Do not mention it. Bury it so deep in your mind that there is no other fact than the lie I tell you."

"Tom… I can't just-" Harry argued.

"You can or I will make you forget. I think actually making you forget will be better. I'll make it so you can remember when I have everything ready," Tom stated hurriedly, taking his wand out. 

Harry stepped back when he saw Tom pull out the wand, "wait, wait- You can't do this!"

"I need you to believe me, it might take longer than six months. But when you remember once again… You will be as protected as you could ever be," Tom said and approached the boy. 

Harry shook his head. "I don't want to forget."

"You need to," Tom said softly.

"What if you decide you don't need me anymore," Harry insisted. "I want to make sure your dream comes true Tom. To do that I need to be there."

"To make sure that happens, I need to do this to protect us," Tom said. 

Harry was now at the ledge, before Harry stepped over the edge Tom pulled him towards him. "I will never not need you, as I am Voldemort."

As Harry gasped at the information Tom casted the spell and Harry blacked out. 

*****

There was a knock on Snape's door. He was awake because he had to go check on the Dark Lord's potion. He walked to the door and wondered if it was fine to not go open but when his left arm heated up he realised there was no option for not going. 

When he opened the door, he saw a sad looking Harry Potter and Thomas Shafiq standing next to him. 

"Uncle Snape can you get us back inside our house without our parents knowing?" Harry asked. 

"Excuse me?" Severus asked with a hint of confusion.

"We just went outside because Harry felt so stuffy inside the house. I hope you can understand and help us," Tom said. Severus groaned and stepped aside to let the two inside.

Then he walked to his fireplace and pulled the two kids inside with him. "I'm dropping you two off and then you are on your own," Severus stated clearly.

"Thank you Uncle Snape!" Harry chided happily. Then Severus stated the address and off they went. At the other side of the fireplace was the Potter residence and after the two kids stepped out the man was gone once more.

Harry laughed a bit, but kept it quiet, "well that was easy."

"The man is softer than he looks," Tom said nonchalantly. 

"Thanks Tom for taking me out, even if it almost got you in trouble… I'm going to take the cloak back now. Um, it was fun in the park," Harry said quietly and then walked off. 

Tom then decided to go to sleep as well. His mind restless. 

*****

After months of making the potion it had failed, his tests didn't prove to be a success. He had brought in two test subjects to test it on but they proved to be duds. 

The third one was the only one that he could afford to make or he would need to wait until Hogwarts. If he had the library of Salazar Slytherin now he could probably research and find the answer to his problem. 

His mind raced in anger and frustration at the thought of having to wait so long. Harry was now again the naive kid he knew at first. 

Altering the memories and making him forget what Tom had made him learn about the war and the ambitions he had. Everything that was left was the naive kid.

Harry didn't even remember he was a parseltongue, but it was for the best. Tom had been foolish and he knew that, he was stepping on thin ice everytime Dumbledore came by to see Harry.

The man could see the differences. 

He pushed making the third batch, because he couldn't afford another failure. Before making it he needed solid proof it would work. 

Then months passed into years and the frustration grew and no progress. Scavenging through knockturn alley's bookstores didn't turn out to anything. He had even managed to obtain more basilisk poison, but it seemed to be rotten. 

Then he realised, could he need fresh poison after all? Well, on his ninth birthday he was close to destroying the lab completely as his magic was overflowing and his heightened irritation didn't help. 

The only amusement was that the Order was still investigating how an auror that had been working for the ministry for many years ended up being a Death Eater. Also stealing the prophecy and leaving without a trace. Then ending his life on the spot 

Afterall, the prophecies couldn't be handled by anyone who it isn't about without going insane. There was an idea that the auror had touched the prophecy and handed it to someone else to get it out and to the Dark Lord.

Instead of Harry, he was getting updates from Severus instead. After two years the man started being suspicious about when he would make a move again. Which had brought Tom's attention to the sweet Philosopher's Stone contained in a vault in Gringotts. 

Acquiring the object would ease him when it came to his mortality, yet he still was too young to start using it.

He had spoken to the professor about his intention of staying in the shadows for now. It wouldn't fare well for him to try to command his army while being seven years old.

Snape also informed that Lucius had been extremely restless since acquiring the Dark Lord's wand, but Tom waved the concern off immediately. When the time came for Malfoy, the man would know. 

Another point of agenda he focused on was the invisibility cloak in the Potter family. Never had he heard of such an item and that had brought him interested in the children's Tales of Beedle and the Barb. 

The cloak in the story resembled greatly of what was the heirloom in the Potter family. With further research he found that the family was tied to the Peverells and so was the Gaunts, very far connection, but interesting nonetheless.

With those long days the slightest possibility for new discoveries towards his immortality was enough. He should research more on the three objects, if the cloak was a reality, then so was the wand and the stone.

Tale of three brothers… After digging more into the Peverell line the story matched with the three brothers - Antioch, Cadmus and Ignotus. Ignotus tracing back to the Potter line.

Cadmus would've been the one to have the resurrection stone and so it would've been passed down to the Gaunt line. Their heirloom being the ring… which Tom had turned into a Horcrux. 

It should still be in the Gaunt shack he had left it in. And then a week after his birthday he headed to the shack and retrieved the ring. It indeed had the stone inside it, yet he didn't have anyone he wanted to bring back. 

Still, the ring had the carving in it. A symbol, it seemed familiar, as if he had seen it somewhere. Puffing out air he decided to deposit in his mind for later use. 

For now he held onto it in his pouch. 

Now, he needed to make some tests on the properties of basilisk poison and how it differed depending on the freshness.

It would take the rest of his stock, but it was the only lead he had.

Patience, that was the thing he needed.


	7. Chapter 7

Two more years passed. Tom stood in the familiar train station at the platform nine and three quarters. It was bustling with students getting ready to head to the school.

"Tom, now did you remember everything?" Lily said while straightening out Tom's clothes and dusting off the nonexistent dust.

Tom nodded, "yes I think the over ten times of checking my trunk made sure of that." 

James laughed and walked next to them, "come Lily let the boy get some room to breathe. He is now all grown up!" 

Then Harry huffed some air and looked at the trio, "I think we need to go now. The train leaves soon."

Lily then pulled both of them in a hug. "I'm going to miss you so much!" she said and when she let go she kept holding on to their shoulders. "If I hear a word from Snape that you are slipping in your studies I am going to rush there instantly," Lily threatened. 

"Yeah, yeah. You said the same thing last year when I left," Harry moaned. 

Lily then let go of Tom and moved her hands on to Harry, "am I understood?"

"Ok, Lily time to let them go. No more threatening the boys!" James said and pulled Lily away. Then he turned to the two boys, "don't get caught."

Then Harry and Tom both nodded, "well, see you at Christmas!" Harry said and escaped to the train. 

"The same," Tom said simply and followed Harry. He followed Harry until they entered one of the compartments that was still empty at that time. 

When Tom had put his trunk up and so had Harry they sat on opposite ends. "Did you take Hydrus with you as planned?" Tom asked.

"Of course, just have to apply the shrinking charm," Harry said with a wide smile.

Tom chuckled a bit, "you know, a Gryffindor with a snake as a pet. That can't be popular."

"You already know I had to argue with the hat. It wanted to place me into Slytherin, imagine if my parents heard that," Harry objected. 

Tom smiled, "well, you can stay in your Gryffindor but I am going to where you should've ended up in." 

Harry laughed. Then he fell into silence, "Tom, good luck," he said softly.

"I don't need luck," Tom countered.

Harry shook his head and met Tom's eyes. "No, you do. I know how bad the Gryffindors can be in their ridicule and I can't even imagine how bad the Slytherin's will be."

Tom's expression darkened, "what did the Gryffindors do to you?"

"That's not the point Tom, don't turn this on me. I know you like to do that, but not now. I know you think you can play the Slytherin's but I'm still worried. Even if you ain't a Potter on paper you still have been living with us for five years," Harry said, "they will only see that Tom. Screw the Shafiq name, they will focus on the Potter."

Tom chuckled a bit, "Harry, I won't let them eat me up."

"If I notice you getting bullied with a leg locker curse I'm stepping in," Harry said with a huge resolve. His chest was even sticking out a bit, as he was proud to be such a strong older brother. 

Tom's face fell, "typical Gryffindor."

"Hey!" Harry yelled, "you are placing properties of a wider group of people which has known stereotypical personality traits and projecting those onto me and that's not ok."

"Quoting a book?" Tom asked with a chuckle. 

"Just pretending to be this girl from my class, Hermione Granger. She is really smart when she wants to be but thinks quoting sentences out of books gets her to look better," Harry explained. "No one likes someone who thinks they are smarter than others and yes, I mean you Tom."

"But Harry, I am smarter than others," Tom said, "and I don't quote books."

Harry shrugged, "you two should make a club."

Tom only stared at Harry, letting his brother know the jesting was over and it wasn't amusing anymore. Pulling his book up, he started a silence between the two. Harry knowing how it was with Tom just sighed and pulled out a book of his own. 

After being in comfortable silence for an hour the compartment door was pushed open. There stood Fred and George. "Potter's! How are my two favourite not siblings?"

Without asking the two sat down, "was quite good until you two came in." Tom said as he closed his book and deposited it back to his trunk. 

"You know we only jest Tom," George laughed. 

Tom then leaned his face to his hand, "so what you got for me?"

"First years?" Fred asked and stretched a bit, "nothing interesting, maybe Daphne Greengrass' little sister Astoria. Apparently she got the looks in the family, definitely going to Slytherin."

"Nothing else?" Tom asked , surprised a bit. 

Fred took a paper from his pocket and handed it to Tom, "would feel bad keeping this when it belonged to the two of you."

Tom opened the paper and it was blank. Looking back at the twins he waited for more. Then George who was sitting next to him tapped it with his wand, "I solemnly swear I'm up to no good," he recited and the ink started appearing on the map. 

Tom's eyes widened at the discovery, "a map of Hogwarts tracking the position of every inside the castle." 

Then he read the names on the front, "marauders, this was made by James, Sirius, Remus and Peter."

Harry snatched the map from Tom's hands, "then this is mine! Where did you two find this anyways?"

Fred laughed a bit but took the map from Harry, "sorey, but Tom is paying us for digging up information and anything useful we can find in Hogwarts. This map included."

Then Fred tapped the map again with his wand, "mischief managed." As the words left his mouth the ink left the paper and he returned the parchment to Tom, who only smiled a bit and deposited the paper in his trunk. 

"When did this deal came to be?" Harry asked, confused. 

Tom then looked at Harry briefly and then out of the window, "I had some free time and felt like I should be prepared for the school. Incase I get… Leg locker curse thrown on me," Tom said slowly.

"Ah, Tom. If you end up in Slytherin your first target of interest should be-" Fred started but Tom stopped him.

"Draco Malfoy, from the reports from last Christmas when you last mentioned him, I'm assuming he is the leader of his year of Slytherin students. The kid is a Malfoy, it would be a surprise if he wasn't prancing around like he knew the school," Tom stated, "but I can't blame it either. It has been taught to him by his father."

"Tom~" George whined, "this makes us think you have some other information sources than us."

"Is this feeling that is swelling in my chest jealousy?" Fred chided.

"I assure you when you two graduate I will raise your pay if you keep up the information," Tom said with a smirk, "I give those who are loyal their bonuses after all."

"We need a pay raise right now," Fred and George said together.

Tom stopped looking outside and turned back to the two, "I must have heard that incorrectly."

Fred and George both smiled. "Now that you are in Hogwarts the information we provide is more valuable," Fred started.

"Don't think we didn't know that. We might enjoy causing mischief but those things take a lot of planning," George ended.

Tom groaned a bit, "you got me, I'll give you a raise. But don't push your luck again or I will find another one to provide me with the information and better."

"Thanks Tom~" Fred said happily and got up and opened the door. 

Then George got up as well and slid through the door as well, "I hope your dream of becoming a Gryffindor come true!" 

Then with that the two were gone. With their leave a silence fell to the compartment again and with it a piercing glare from Harry. After a few minutes Tom sighed, "say it."

"That map belongs to my as much as it belongs to you," Harry insisted.

"It's mine, but I'll let you have it one day Harry. Be patient," Tom said sweetly.

His brother huffed air out, the annoyance extremely visible. The tapping of his leg annoyed Tom but he didn't get further into the conversation and just decided to stay quiet for the ride. 

This wasn't the Harry he wanted afterall, the Harry he wanted was buried deep inside and was waiting for Tom to pull him back.

*****

As Tom walked to the Slytherin table after being sorted he took in the looks of disgust towards him - it really brought him back to his first time in the school. 

Lovely. 

As he reached the table he sat next to some other first years and drew his attention back to the sorting. Astoria Greengrass was indeed sorted into Slytherin and the girl sat near him. 

Then as the names went by Tom found himself almost bored, any meaningful name seemed to have been drafted to the year above or under. Until it came to Ginevra Weasley, he really hadn't exchanged many words with the girl. 

All she knew about her was from her brothers instead from herself. Well anyways it didn't-

"Slytherin!"

Oh, that is surprising.

As Ginny walked over to the Slytherin table the eyes that had been on Tom were now on Ginny. The girl then locked eyes with Tom and the other groaned inside his mind. The girl has sat opposite of him.

"I'm not covering for you," Tom stated simply. 

Then Ginny met his eyes but did cave in a bit. Tom's eyes flinched a bit, this girl wouldn't last in the house for a week without cracking.

"I don't need covering," Ginny argued back. 

Then they fell to silence as Dumbledore said the finishing words and announced the feast beginning. "You should've gone to Gryffindor, taking that long with the hat…" Tom said and let the rest speak for itself. 

His eyes went to Ginny for a second to make sure she knew exactly what he meant. For the rest of the dinner he didn't speak to the girl and she didn't speak to him. 

As the feast came to its end, the two met their eyes and Tom sighed internally. Why the girl had argued to get into Slytherin was a question he didn't know the answer to.

When the Slytherin prefects called the first years to follow them, Tom quickly got up and followed the pack so Ginny couldn't tail him. Losing her to the crowd wasn't problematic thankfully. When they reached the Slytherin common room, the first years were told to stay and wait.

Tom already knew what was coming, the King of Slytherin talk. Also how every year would have a leader. 

As Snape started the talk Tom's mind started to move away from it and towards how long it would take until he could slip into the chamber and see the basilisk. But for now, it was good to be back in Hogwarts.

Even if he had to bear through lessons that he already knew the contents to. Then the current king of Slytherin was introduced - Marcus Flint, a sixth year.

Just over average amount of magical power, first impressions weren't that good. Thankfully he would be out of the school in a few years. Tom laughed a bit out loud at how ridiculously low the man's aura was. 

"Is something amusing first year?" Marcus called out when he heard Tom laugh. Snape stiffened a bit at the side.

Tom shrugged, "nothing, just wondering how an idiot like you managed to get the job." At that there was slight laughter in the room, but more than that there was scared looks towards Tom.

Marcus then frowned, "get up, now."

Tom then walked to the front and joined the man up at the elevated part of the room. "You will learn what happens when you insult the King… what was your name again?"

"Thomas Shafiq" Tom said calmly.

"Ah yes, the Potter's adopted lamb. Here is some news to you, the Potter's ain't here to protect you anymore," Marcus insulted Tom. 

"Are you just going to talk or do something? I give it to you, listening to your voice is a punishment in itself," Tom said back and drew his wand. This time it was a wand he had received from the second visit to Ollivanders. Thirteen inches, yew wood and Rougarou hair core, the core had made Ollivanders question it a lot, yet it was a decent wand. 

As Tom had drawn his wand Maecus laughed, "you sure you know how to handle that?" At the remark the whole room laughed alongside him. Tom gave no reaction, just slowly letting out his magic.

It had been a good while since he let go of the mask even a bit. Even now he was letting out enough to intimidate the room, he noticed it working when some of the first years were breathing heavier.

His eyes met Snape's but he only curved the edge of his mouth a little at the man's concern. Then Marcus spoke once more, "Malfoy, get up here and show this first year fool what happens when you overstep your boundaries," Marcus ordered promptly and the blond then stepped to his side. 

"Make sure he knows not to do anything like this again," Marcus said with a lower voice to Malfoy and the blonde nodded. 

"Of course," Malfoy agreed and stepped towards Tom and drew his wand. 

Before the Malfoy had a chance to even do the wand movements of a spell Tom had already cast his own and it hit the blonde. Throwing him on the ground, his mouth opened to give a silent scream. Then Tom moved his wand down and the boy was now limp and unconscious on the ground. Tom didn't say anything just challenged Marcus with his eyes to attack. 

"What was that the spell?" 

"He didn't even say anything!"

"Was Malfoy always that weak?"

The murmurs in the room increased until, "quiet!" Snape bellowed and stepped out to stop the charade that was happening. "The show is over, prefects show the first years to their rooms and Shafiq, with me."

After that the pack of people started to thin and Snape walked towards the door, "Flint, you as well, first make sure Malfoy gets the to hospital wing."

Flint frowned but ordered another sixth year beside him to make sure Malfoy was alright, then followed Snape and Tom. They walked through the hallways in silence, but there was definitely someone who was mad at Tom.

When they entered the room Snape shut the door firmly, "Flint, mind telling me what happened there?"

Marcus then snapped his eyes from Tom to Snape, "a first year being insolent towards his superiors."

Snape sighed loudly, "either you have lost your eyes but you just caused a second year get hurt when you did nothing. Detention for two weeks, meet me here on monday."

"Wait what? That's-" Marcus argued but Snape silenced him.

"Three weeks now get out," Snape ended and Marcus left with one more glare towards Tom.

Tom then looked at Snape and smiled a bit, "I need you to bring me my supplies from your house as we had arranged. Don't worry, I won't use your quarters for brewing, I have another space planned for it."

"My lord, I don't think sending a torture charm on Malfoy in front of so many witnesses-," Snape started.

"I don't need your input in my plans Severus, I will ask for it when I need it," Tom stated and made sure the man knew where he stood. 

Snape then frowned, "of course, my Lord."

"Good, now… I think I need to go and make sure my roommates haven't touched my luggage. Not that they would have the guts to do that anyways," Tom stated and walked out of the room. 

He had just bought a good week of alone time. 

Or so he had thought when the next day there was someone following him everywhere he went. Thankfully the person trailing him was stupid enough to follow him into a hallway no one else used. 

After a corner Tom stayed on the corner and waited until his follower arrived. Then a good minute after there was Ginny right before him. "You know it's not polite to follow others around?" Tom asked as Ginny realised she was caught.

"I wasn't following you," Ginny argued.

"Save it, I just want to know what you want," Tom asked and waited for Ginny to realise he didn't have time for this. 

After looking at the girl longer Tom noticed the books she was carrying around, one of them pitch black. "Hold, what is that book," Tom asked and looked at the very familiar diary.

"It's mine, why?" Ginny asked, holding the book more firmly to her body. 

Tom frowned. It was his diary, he wanted it back. Then he reminded himself to go and make sure Lucius knows he shouldn't hand out important artifacts to school girls. "I'm quite sure it has an engraving of TMR and you don't fit those letters," Tom said sweetly.

Ginny almost jumped in her shoes at that, "I found it."

Went to rob it from the Malfoy house? "Fine, I will pay you for it, just name your price," Tom said with a bored tone. 

Ginny cling on to the diary and thought about it, her eyes joltin around trying to think of an answer. Then Ginny took the diary and handed it to Tom, "I'll cash a favor in one day."

"A favor…" Tom repeated and took the book but Ginny didn't let go. "I'll play along, just stop following me around, which you still have not answered."

Ginny then smiled a bit and started walking away. "I'll tell you when I need a favour!" she said with a giggle and ran away before Tom could comment. Tom then pulled out the map and saw Ginny's name moving towards another quite empty hallway. 

It would be easy to cut her off. If he desired to go visit the Chamber he needed to make sure the Weasley girl wasn't tailing him all the time. After a few minutes of walking he saw the red head again and this time he pulled her behind a corner and pushed her against a wall.

"I wasn't giving you a chance to just not answer, why are you following me," Tom stated. Then as Ginny didn't answer, "if you don't answer I'll force it out of you. You saw what I did yesterday."

Ginny tried to look anywhere but Tom's eyes, her face becoming red. "I-"

Tom smirked, oh this was going to be easy. His hand took hold of the girl's chin and lifted it up a bit so she looked him in the eye. Her face then became even redder, "tailing someone like that doesn't fit a girl like you. Just ask me head on."

"I… I won't do it again," Ginny stammered and then Tom took a step back. 

"Make sure you don't," Tom said and then walked away. Time for the Chamber, thankfully it was the weekend so no one should be looking for him. 

It took a good half hour to get down to the chamber, as the path had gotten rotten once again. Walking down the watery path to Salazar Slytherin statue in the end was slightly nostalgic. "Come," he said and the path opened from Salazar's mouth revealing the basilisk. 

"Who are you, you speak the tongue yet your smell.. seems mixed," she spoke. She lifted her head high to pressure Tom.

Tom smiled, "it's good to see you again Jorn. Do you remember Tom Riddle?" 

The basilisk's eyes widened. "Why has your scent mixed with another's?"

Then as the basilisk's head lowered, "first put the protective layer on your eyes." Then when Jorn agreed, Tom caressed the skin on her head. "I was reborn in a new body, but I am still the Tom you knew. I need to go to the library. Will you give me a lift?"

Then the serpent nodded curtly and lowered it's head against the ground. Tom then climbed onto the serpent smoothly and when she raised herself in front of the statue Tom spoke, "open." When the words left his mouth a pathway opened on top of the statue. 

When Tom had gone through the pathway he turned to look at Jorn once more. "Go feed in the forest, but make sure no one sees you, come back in two hours," Tom ordered and Jorn complied.

Walking to the library was refreshing but Tom got to work nonetheless. His research over the past few years had compiled a lot of results, the biggest of them being that only the freshest basilisk venom could change the DNA of a human. 

Now, to make sure Harry's mind couldn't be read through like an open book he needed to mix the potion with a ritual. The only memory he had of the ritual was from his teens, now the book should be closer to the ritual chamber at the end of the library. 

Also he had realised in his research that his body wasn't completely that of Thomas Shafiq and neither Tom Riddle. It was a weird mix of both. The more he had aged the softer features of his face had turned to resemble how he had looked in his first youth, except for the hair and eyes. Yet, the eye's had some red speckles in them when he casted darker magic. 

It seemed as time went by the two were fusing together, what that meant for him, he didn't know yet.

For an hour he went through the books and ended up with no success. As the second hour started the book he had picked up provided success, it had been so long since he had been there the last time, his memory was hazy. Which was odd, his memory was normally perfect. 

All the memories he had lived as Thomas were clear but as Tom Riddle, there were some hazy counterparts. Could it be because of the multiple cases of memories after making Horcruxes? It was a decent theory. 

Forcing them all join in his body could've made some of them faulty and unstable. Bothersome.

Nevertheless he had found the ritual he was looking for, now all he needed to do was fit it according to his theory. First he needed to collect the proper ingredients, the most troublesome being two humans with matching blood type as the one going through the ritual. 

It was extremely painful and drained all of the person's blood without suitable blood banks. So naturally he couldn't let Harry bleed out, two people should be enough.

Getting two alive people in Hogwarts to disappear unnoticed was a bit more troublesome. It needed to be magical blood so the ritual would work, Salazar had even noted, "the purer the better." Yet, Tom really didn't want to make a pureblood line damaged for something like this.

He could use Severus, but the man should stay in the shadow for this. What the ritual entailed should only be known to him and Harry after all. 

He sighed and got back to work for preparing the ritual. 

*****

After he had excited the Chamber and headed to the dormitory he ran into Harry who seemed to be in a hurry. "Oh there you are, you weren't in the dorm," Harry said and then handed Tom a note.

Then opening it Tom just raised his eyebrow, "Licorice wands are surprisingly sweet." Then after reading it he looked back at Harry, "why does Dumbledore want to see me?"

Harry shrugged, "I do not know. He told me to escort you there when I find you."

"I don't think I want to go see him," Tom muttered but sighed and started walking the way he came from. It was the direction to the headmasters quarters. 

Harry then started walking behind him, "he is not that bad. Dumbledore has taught me a lot over the years."

"Yes, you have told me," Tom stated simply. 

Harry frowned a bit but kept walking forwards. "So what's stuck in your ass?" he asked with a coy smile.

Tom huffed some air, "great use of language."

Harry laughed a bit at Tom's stoicness, "you can't just evade the question." Harry whined but didn't bring him anywhere as Tom didn't continue the conversation. 

As silence fell between the two, they continued to walk towards the headmaster's study. Harry didn't want to change the subject and Tom didn't want to answer the previous question. It ended up as a contest of wits, all until they arrived at the gargoyle leading the office. 

"Licorice wands," Tom breathed out and the gargoyle then moved reveal the path to the office. 

"I'll be here to wait until you come back," Harry said and Tom only nodded slightly in response. Then as he climbed the steps his mind tried to think why the old fool would want to see him in the first place.

As he approached the room door he heard the familiar sound, "come in." Knowing already that the man liked to amaze students with how he knew they were approaching the door. Basic ward use, enough to amaze children.

"You wanted to see me," Tom stated simply as he entered the room, shutting the door behind him. 

Dumbledore smiled sweetly, "please, come sit here. Do you want some lemon drops?’’ As he spoke he lifted a bowl full of candies. 

Tom then walked to the chair and sat down, ‘’I’ll pass.’’

Dumbledore then sat down as well, meeting Tom’s eyes. It was instantly that Tom knew the man was trying to lure himself into his brain, subtly but without invitation. Then to counter that he turned to look outside the window, not to give the old fool a chance to get into his mind. ‘’You must be wondering why I wanted you here, my boy,’’ Dumbledore started the conversation. 

Tom just shrugged slightly, not entertaining the man with an answer. ‘’I once knew a boy that was very similar to you Tom,’’ Dumbledore then continued as Tom showed no reaction at all. ‘’Smart and quite independent, he too was once living in an orphanage.’’

Tom just stared at his hands and then to Dumbledore. Bringing up some confused thoughts about the conversation up in the front of his mind so the man didn’t suspect him. ‘’Did you help him then?’’ he asked, knowing very well the man had pushed him away. 

Dumbledore shook his head, ‘’there are many things I regret Tom, maybe not reaching out to him was one of them. My point is, I see the same qualities that brought that boy to his ruin.’’

Tom laughed a bit. ‘’Why are you telling me all of this? To save me?’’ Tom asked, letting his mask slip a bit, but collecting it quickly. He still remembered that day when Dumbledore had rejected him, when he had simply wanted to be a teacher. 

Dumbledore’s smile then turned a bit sad, ‘’I have noticed you like to push people away when they are questioning you. Tom, I wish you would start trusting those around you more. I know Harry is very fond of you, but even he has noticed you push him away.’’

‘’So, I’m here to listen to a lecture?’’ Tom asked bluntly.

"I would appreciate it if you would hear me out without a guard," Dumbledore stated, tired of Tom's hostile stance. "I don't know what I did to you Tom, but you have been guarded against me since the beginning and I wish to change that."

Tom just stared at the man silently for a moment and then sighed. "I do not agree with your ideals," Tom stated bluntly, wanting to see how the man would react. 

"I don't think I've discussed my ideals with you," Dumbledore said back softly. 

"You didn't need to, I can see it enough at home and outside of it," Tom shot back. 

Dumbledore smiled softly, "did you know your orphanage burned down a few years ago? It never got rebuilt."

Tom stiffened a bit, this was the first time someone mentioned the burning around him. Could the man had told everyone else to not mention it to him? Plausible, "I hadn't heard about it."

"The Potter's took you in because of the kindness in their hearts. Even if they were facing harsh living conditions, they wanted another child. That is the ideal I represent, love," Dumbledore said with a twinkle in his eyes. "If you had left in that orphanage maybe you would've become like the child I once knew. I hope you look around you and take in the warmth others offer you, my boy."

Tom thought about what the other had said but tried to not let himself laugh. It was always about 'love' with Dumbledore. "I appreciate the Potter's for what they have done for me," Tom stated to Dumbledore. "I will take you suggestion into consideration," he ended robotically. 

Dumbledore did notice the slight sarcasm, but pushed past it. "I also want you to watch over Harry, I have noticed he has been pushed away by his classmates… Maybe you could help him?" Dumbledore asked. 

Tom smirked just a bit, "from what I know of Hogwarts… I do not think Gryffindors would like a Slytherin to step into their territory."

"Enemies can always become friends, forming new bonds," the headmaster said idealistically. 

"In fairy tales," Tom hit him back quickly.

Dumbledore frowned a bit but his twinkle came back quickly, "it is quite sad a young wizard like you has lost faith in others."

"You would too if you were pushed off a roof," Tom said, tired of the conversation. "I'll see what I can do about Harry, now… may I take my leave?"

Dumbledore smiled a bit but his eyes showed fire and compassion for Tom. An odd mix of emotions, "very well, I have kept you long enough. You may leave."

With the headmasters permission Tom got up and walked to the door, leaving the room quickly. His temper was at its edge. Had the man caught him, nay. He could only be suspicious of his true identity, taking a deep breath before exiting the staircase he saw Harry on the other side.

"What did he want?" Harry asked immediately. 

Tom just walked past him and down the hallway. Harry quickly followed his brother. "Oh, you are annoyed," Harry observed, "wait no, when you are annoyed you go quiet but still respond cryptically and mostly sarcastically. This is different, you are seething with anger."

Tom just glanced at Harry but continued walking forwards, "I'm going to the dungeons now, it's late. You should go to your dorm as well." Then without alarm Tom just walked quickly away, leaving Harry just standing there without an answer. 

Then he pulled out the map, it was already late and the only ones who roamed the halls were prefects and some students who were hurrying to their dorms. With the map he was able to avoid any chance of being caught. 

He then walked towards the dungeons, following the map and making sure he didn't run into anyone. His magic humming in annoyance, if he could, he would just take the easiest two students out of the hallways and take them to the chamber. 

Yet, if he did that, Dumbledore didn't have to connect many dots to know it was him, now the question was had he gone to Potter's with his suspicions? 

The likeliest answer was that he hadn't, this seemed to be only a hunch he had. Just trying to find out if it was true or not. Also it was likely he was just seeing his actual identity projected in Tom now, could the man have genuine need to help Tom. No, if he wanted to help, it only meant he wanted something from him. 

Now what he wanted was the question, he had only asked him to help Harry, so that was his lead. 

*****

The next day was the first day of classes and simply put, they were tiring. Tom had been quite quiet and in the background mainly for the history and transfiguration classes. McGonagall had been surprised when he had managed to turn the toothpick into a needle on the first try. 

It was basic molding of the elements present in the toothpick. If you just used the ideology of alchemy in transfiguration it was easy to do the basic spells. Of course he didn't mention that all to McGonagall, just that he had read some books before coming to the school that helped him understand the theory. 

In the process he earned some points to Slytherin. At lunch he joined Harry at the Gryffindor table, "Tom, I don't think you should sit there," he stammered out, looking around at his housemates. 

"There are no rules about not allowing students to sit in other houses tables during common meals. Only during festivities there is restrictions," Tom explained and just ignored the glares.

Harry then sighed and returned to eating, "doesn't mean it's not socially accepted."

"Dumbledore asked me to help you… make friends with your housemates once again," Tom said bluntly why he was there. 

Harry then lifted his eyebrow, "I'm sure you talked about more than that. Because I've never seen you that angry."

Tom just shot a glare towards Harry to not overstep it. "Who is the main perpetrator to your bad reputation?" Tom asked instead of humoring Harry with an answer.

"Ron, Seamus and Dean, but mainly Ron because he still thinks I'm being brainwashed by you! Can you believe that," Harry said with a slight laugh. 

"Make up with him," Tom stated simply. 

"Excuse me?" Harry coughed up, his food getting stuck in his throat.

Tom shrugged, "he was your childhood friend after all."

Harry laughed a bit, "yeah maybe. But he just got mad at me and I've tried to get in better terms with him, but I don't really get why he keeps on hating you. Sometimes he tells me how you threatened him!" Harry took a moment to laugh a bit, "you usually use all the resources you can to avoid people, why would you go out of your way to threaten him?"

"Outrageous," Tom agreed. "I am not suggesting be best friends with him, just solve the problems between you two. I'm sure it will make your life easier."

"Solve it? What's that supposed to mean?" Harry said with a slight snort. 

Tom smiled a bit, "get rid of the problem or... just talk to him tomorrow, I’ll make sure he will be more open to persuasion.’’

Harry frowned, ‘’you know how shady that sounds.’’

‘’You know me, I don’t want to deal with people. What bad could I do?’’ Tom said with a fake smile. ‘’I only want them to stop bullying you, not to be friends with you again.’’ Then as he took another bite of his meal a Gryffindor student approached them.

It was a girl who had her hair wild and untangled. Tom thought Bellatrix’s hair had been bad, but it seemed like this girl hadn’t even tried in the mornings. ‘’Harry, I hope you remember we have to go to the library after lunch and work on our transfiguration project,’’ the girl said as she sat down next to Tom. 

Tom slid himself a bit away from her then. ‘’Wait, you are a Slytherin,’’ she noted. 

‘’Tom, this is Hermione. I mentioned her to you before didn’t I,’’ Harry introduced the girl. Then Hermione nodded a bit and puffed air a bit out, as to be proud. Tom smiled internally, what the girl didn’t know couldn’t hurt her.

Then Hermione quickly turned back to Tom, ‘’aren’t you breaking the rules by sitting in this table?’’

‘’Not exactly. If you are referring to written rules, then no. But if you are speaking about socially acceptable behaviour, then yes,’’ Tom answered, not even looking at Hermione. 

The girl in question frowned then looked at Harry, ‘’you know each other?’’ 

‘’Tom here is my brother,’’ Harry answered. Then as if on queue Hermione looked quickly between the two, trying to notice similarities. 

Tom just ate his food while waiting for the girl to finish being confused. Harry just laughed a bit, then as Hermione’s mouth closed she spoke, ‘’but you two look nothing alike! Also I remember your surname was Shafiq wasn’t it. Then how..’’

‘’Adoption,’’ Tom provided, he didn’t want to listen to the girls voice any longer than he was required. 

"Oh," Hermione let out and Harry just laughed more.

"Your face was great! I didn't know you looked like that when you didn't know something," Harry said with laughs in between. 

Hermione frowned, "I couldn't have known…"

Tom then finished his meal and got up, "tomorrow, promise me Harry you will try."

Harry groaned a bit, "fine, fine."

When Tom left the table Hermione then turned to look at Harry, "you never mentioned you had a brother!" 

Harry shrugged, "no one ever asked. Also most of the Gryffindors already know, thanks to the Weasley's."

"Weasley's?" Hermione asked.

"Our parents are good friends, so I have known Ron for as long as I can remember," Harry explained. Then he sighed remembering the assignment he needed to do with Hermione. They were a pair because they were left without a pair, so they were pushed together. 

In Harry's mind, this happened way too many times. "Ron and you are always fighting though?" Hermione noted. 

"It happens, he was a jerk and I told him off," Harry said. "He hasn't gotten over it," he explained, then he realised why was he telling Hermione of all people this. 

"Well, if you ask me Ron is a jerk who deserves it. He needs someone to tell him off every now and then," Hermione said proudly. 

Harry laughed a bit, "oh yeah, you two haven't gotten along either. He hates that you know more than him."

"I have thought about it and I think he is insecure," Hermione said with a sad smile. 

"Insecurity doesn't give right to ruin other people's lives," Harry added and a silent agreement fell between the two as they ate the rest of their meal.

Hermione then laughed a bit, "I didn't think your brother would be a Slytherin, never would've guessed." Then she got up and stared at Harry, "the assignment, we should not waste the free period."

Harry groaned and got up, "it's the first day of classes and you are already a pain in my ass. Don't make me disappear like I did last year during the history essay."

"...I couldn't find you for a week," Hermione said quietly. 

"Exactly, I only appeared because it needed to be finished for the next day," Harry said and started walking to the door. "Now, library?" 

Hermione beamed up a bit at the suggestion, "I'll be sure to be less pushy this year."

Harry smiled a bit in response and then walked away with Hermione. The girl was decent company when she wasn't trying to prove why she was correct and not someone else. "Oh, we need to go find Neville on the way there, apparently he got told to join us after the lesson… He was just too scared to approach anyone else," Hermione stated and Harry nodded.

Neville was alright even if he was shy and clumsy. Just that, anytime Harry was with him there was a weird feeling of guilt he couldn't explain and it was why he hadn't hang out with the boy too much.

Anyways he retired his mind to a study mode, trying not to think too much about what Tom was planning for him.


	8. Chapter 8

"Eyo Chief!" Fred called out while happily walking out of the steps to the astronomy tower. 

Tom then turned around to see the two twins looking quite beat up by the walk up there. "You two are late," Tom quipped. In his hand was a piece of parchment rolled up. 

As Fred and George approached the fence Tom was leaning on they whined. "You told us to meet you here in fifteen minutes Tom! That's some rushing we just did and how can you seem so calm!" George yelled out and dropped his on the fence and let the upper part hang over it. 

"It's simple, I don't slack on exercise," Tom stated, looking at George in confusion at the unsightly mannerism.

Fred laughed a bit while leaning on the fence as well, "George if you don't look more tidy I think Tommy boy here will murder you," Fred chuckled. 

George then turned to look at Tom and snorted in a laugh, "ah yes, the upside down Tom is looking furious and bored at our quips, my brother." Then he straightened up and stretched his back a bit.

"Tommy boy is not acceptable," Tom stated firmly. 

Both Fred and George grinned while looking at the solemn boy, "Just Tommy?"

"No," came the instant response. 

"Tom Tom?" 

"Just one Tom," Tom said and then handed the parchment to George. "I have made a new contract for our business," he started explaining, changing the subject. 

George took the parchment and opened it, "confidentiality contract? Why would we need this, we would never tell on our lil Tom."

Then as George had read it through Fred took it then, "wait this only goes for the information from this point onwards."

"Fred did you notice the repercussion for breaking the contract?" George asked, his voice way more serious now.

Fred seemed to jump a bit, "Tommy Tom, what are these terms? It's insane."

Tom smiled a bit, "it's only to make sure no one tries to get out of the deal. I need to make sure my safety is guaranteed and if someone wrong comes asking, yours as well. With this contract you can leave your name out of any investigation into our deals."

"I'm pretty sure this would put us into a coma," George stated. 

"For a while, but not long enough to have permanent damage," Tom iterated it differently. Then he pulled out his wand and conjured a table with quill and ink near them. 

"Would you like to sign?" he asked with a weird glee that made George and Fred a bit defensive.

"Fred doesn't he reminded you of an evil mafia boss?" George asked while just staring at Tom in disbelief. 

Fred nodded fervently, "oh yes, I am convinced he will not let us go alive." 

Tom buried his face in his hand and rubbed it a bit, "patience Tom.." 

George and Fred both then smiled, "oh, still the same old Tom, just with a bit of bloodthirsty contracts." George said with a relieved sigh as he took a step back.

"But, what's in it for us? It's a contract to keep us safe, but you really just want it for you protection. Now Tommy what do you have planned for us?" Fred asked.

With a smooth move Tom pulled out a ring from his pocket, "that thing there is enchanted with a disillusionment charm, a very powerful one. Just put it on and it will take a trained wizard to notice you. Perfect for acquiring information and getting away from trouble." Then he threw it to Fred who caught it. 

"But there are two of us," Fred said, confused. 

Then as if expecting the response Tom pulled out another ring, "and this one has a glamour charm worked into it. Perfectly made for both of you, I don't think your mother would even recognize you wearing it." He threw that one to George, who also caught it.

Then as if they were children in a candy store they put them on. Fred disappeared, although there was still a good amount of magic condensed around him that Tom saw. Yet, George had turned into a young adult with brown hair and a good amount of pimples. A very common appearance, good for blending in. "I hope you realise that telling anyone of these two would bring forth a good amount of trouble," Tom said for the end. 

As Fred reappeared once more he spoke, "it's almost as if you are trying to bribe us Tom."

"I am very disappointed in you," George said, now noticing even his voice was different. "Oh- this is awesome," he said with a laugh. Then Fred came to him and pulled the ring off.

George's face fell a bit at that, but Fred went and put the ring on his finger instead. "Wicked," he said but got interrupted when Tom accio'd the two rings back to him. 

"You won't get the two rings without signing the contract," he said and even called the parchment to him, putting it on the table. 

Fred and George looked and each other, "can we have a moment?" 

"Of course…" Tom agreed and the two walked a bit to talk in private. Then as the two talked a few feet away from Tom, quite loudly too. 

Tom's ears could easily pick up every part of their conversation. He wondered why the two even bother trying to turn their backs on him.

"Do you think he will ask us to do something shady?" 

"But it's Tom, would he do that?"

"I don't know," the other said and they both seemed to be in agreement in that. But then Fred piped up a bit, "then again… he has made sure we always are well paid and not getting caught. Those rings are insane!"

"The contract is quite scary, who knew Tom had that in him?" George wondered. 

"He has always had an aura of mystery with him," Fred said with a snicker. 

Tom then had gotten tired of waiting, "if you are so unsure I can add a clause to the contract that promises that if you two ever want to stop our business, it's possible. Of course, the confidentiality still stands even after we part ways."

"That wasn't in there before?" Fred asked. 

"It was… with consequences," Tom said with a smile. Then he pulled out another parchment, "I already had one drafted, just in case."

Fred and George took the two parchements and read them through again. "It's scary how well you've thought this through," Fred said and George just nodded fervently in agreement. 

"It's a good skill to know if you ever plan on being businessmen, think through every possibility and prepare," Tom explained and then took the two parchements, burning the other one and then placing the new one on the table. "So, I would like your answer now."

Fred and George looked at each other and shrugged, "yeah, we are signing. It's going to be interesting to hear what you need us to do with these rings."

After making sure the two signed the parchment, Tom signed his name as well. The parchment lit up as the magic solidified in it. "Good, I'll make sure to deliver you two a copy on a later date," Tom said and rolled up the parchment and put it in his cloak pocket. 

Then Fred and George approached the boy and Tom handed the two rings. "As we agreed," Tom said, quite pleased.

"So, what you got for us?" Fred asked enthusiastic.

"Shadow Snape around and find his dirty secrets?" George chided. 

"Oh! Or maybe making half of the school unliveable," Fred suggested as well. 

"Stop, please. Those suggestions are idiotic, what I need you two to do now is quite simple," Tom stated. 

With bated breath the two waited for Tom to continue. "Sneak into the records room and make a copy of all the students files. All current students, make sure to leave no tracks," Tom explained. 

"Ah," Fred said and both of the Weasley's excitement dropped a bit. 

With a bored sigh he continued, "I wish you would get that done in a week. Afterwards I'll make sure to have a more exciting assignment… But I'm sorry to say, I already know all of Snape's secrets."

Then as Tom started walking towards the stairs, he made sure to clean the table out, with the ink and quill. The twins stammered quickly behind him, "tell us, we need to know what the icy Potion master has to hide!"

Tom stopped at the top of the stairs, a slight smile appearing on his lips. "He has a collection of fluffy slippers in his house," he said simply and then continued down the stairs as the twins erupted into laughter. 

As the sun was falling behind the horizon his mind now focused on the promise he had made to Harry. Dealing with the younger redhead, it was odd how the Weasley family had managed to take all of his focus away. 

A family of troublemakers indeed.

Then he pulled out his map and checked where Ron Weasley was currently. At the courtyard, surrounded by other Gryffindors, lovely. He still wasn’t sure how to go about getting the redhead to stop picking on Harry, best case scenario would be him just being too scared to do anything. Yet, the faculty could get a hint of something being amiss. 

He did a slight detour before going to the courtyard, just to be sure. Then as he approached the inner yard he saw a group of second year Gryffindors there, being very loud. Next to them a pack of second year Slytherin, at the head of the pack - Draco Malfoy. 

It seemed as if they were arguing about something, how mundane. As he set foot there to interrupt the talk, the blonde Slytherin noticed his presence. ‘’Oh isn’t it Shafiq,’’ Draco said with a slight sneer, yet the boy was still on guard. It seems Tom had made a lasting impression or he had been reprimanded by Flint. 

‘’Hello Malfoy, need a mattress?’’ Tom said and then turned to Ron, who looked at him almost as angry as Malfoy. These people really weren’t his biggest fans. ‘’Ron, can I talk to you in private?’’

Ron took a step back in surprise as his face formed into an ugly frown, ‘’why, about to curse me into your pet snake?’’

Draco snickered at that a bit, but then stepped up. ‘’I don’t think anyone would want a blood traitor like you as a pet. You would even fail at that.’’

Tom smiled a bit but then returned to a neutral expression, ‘’is having a normal conversation too much to ask of a childhood friend?’’ It had hints of mocking in it, but it got Ron a bit more riled up. 

‘’We were never friends,’’ Ron muttered.

‘’At least you have understood that correctly, now would you like to accompany me somewhere more private?’’ Tom asked and the Weasley was still very guarded. 

Ron hugged a bit of air, ‘’how do I know there isn’t just a trap waiting for me?’’

Tom laughed a bit, ‘’because if I wanted to kill you I wouldn’t announce it in front of a crowd.’’

Draco and the group of Slytherins then laughed at that comment. It seemed even some of the Gryffindors tried to hold in their laughter. Then Tom turned a bit to signal for Ron to follow him, ‘’then, shall we?’’ 

Ron nodded and followed Tom then without any further resistance. It was good to know that there was still the wall of unity with Slytherin when outside the house, even if the lessons seemed to be squished to basic some traditions were still upheld. When they had walked for a minute Ron started to get suspicious, ‘’where are you taking us?’’

‘’There is a classroom here that is never used, it should be private enough for us to have a conversation,’’ Tom explained. Naturally he had gone to the classroom before hand to put up some privacy wards and other ones that turned unwanted visitors away. 

‘’I see,’’ Ron said with slight caution. When they reached the classroom Tom took to lean on the teachers desk and Ron just made sure he was far enough from Tom, so the other couldn’t do anything funny. 

Tom smiled a bit at the Weasley’s caution, ‘’you will stop bullying Harry.’’ It wasn’t a question or something that was open for discussion. If he didn’t do this on some level Dumbledore would be suspicious, because the man wanted his child prodigy to be in popularity. Tom’s previous meddling had been a bigger blow to the friendship than he had thought.

‘’Weren’t you the one to want me to stop being around him?’’ Ron accused. 

Tom straightened his back, ‘’yes, I still feel that way. I am not asking you to be friends with him once again, I am telling you to stop bullying him.’’ 

‘’Our roles aren’t the same anymore. You can’t threaten me!’’ Ron yelled out. 

Tom thought about how to get through the thick head of the Weasley. He could use legilimency to just find the problem the other had, but that would cause the other to forget and… well if he didn’t start changing his attitude soon enough Tom would be rerouting the Weasley’s brain. ‘’What, don’t have anything to say?’’ Ron snickered when Tom didn’t respond. 

‘’No, I am thinking what way takes the most work to get you to understand the situation,’’ Tom explained dryly. 

Ron groaned, ‘’I hate that about you. You think you are so much better than everyone else, you didn’t ask me had I tried to talk to Harry! Well, I did.’’

Tom’s eyebrow lifted a bit, ‘’don’t you hate Harry?’’

‘’No!’’ Ron said immediately, shaking his head. ‘’I was meant to be his friend!’’

Tom stepped forwards, pretty sure the redhead wasn’t supposed to slip that words in there - meant. Then Ron stammered as Tom approached him, ‘’I didn’t mean that! I just was saying that-’’

Then as Tom’s magic was starting to fill the room Ron started to think he had better to escape. ‘’I should go,’’ he stammered and quickly walked to the door, but found that he couldn’t open it. 

‘’You can leave when I excuse you,’’ Tom stated firmly. Then Ron drew his wand and pointed it at the knob, ‘’alohomora!’’ But it only dissipated when hitting the door. 

Tom watched bored as Ron panicked when the door didn’t let him leave. Then the Weasley turned to look at Tom, who now had returned to the desk. ‘’Meant to be friends.. Now who had told you that or is it just a delusion you have formed in your mind? Your parents?’’ he asked but Ron now pointed his wand at Tom. 

‘’Stupefy!’’ Ron yelled out and the weak spell left his crooked wand, which then Tom deflected easily with a shield charm. 

‘’Your classmates..? Nay, could it be Dumbledore?’’ Tom asked and this time Ron stepped a bit backwards, but his back was against the door. ‘’Ah, but if the headmaster desired you two to be friends, why haven’t you offered an olive branch before?’’ 

Ron forced his mouth shut, but his eyes darted around, trying not to meet Tom’s eyes. ‘’Come on, I know you can talk Ron,’’ Tom coarsed, his wand being drawn.

‘’I’m not going to tell you anything,’’ Ron stated then, his tone less scared now. Yet, even his voice was clear it didn’t translate to his composure. His legs were slightly shaking as his wand was still pointed at Tom. 

Tom sighed, ‘’your wand is breaking apart… do you think you can do anything with it?’’ 

‘’It works,’’ Ron stammered in his defence. ‘’Expelliarmus!’’ he then casted and Tom let it hit him, making his wand fly away. 

‘’Hah! See it works,’’ Ron celebrated and Tom just didn’t show any reaction. 

Tom’s eyes travelled to his Rougar hair core wand. Then he opened his palm, summoning the wand back nonverbally. When the wand flew back to his hand he looked at Ron, unimpressed about the spell he had just cast. ‘’Just tell me, why now? Or how did the talk go?’’ Tom asked, now walking towards Ron. 

‘’W-we are on good terms again… Harry and I agreed to drop the fight, he said that he couldn’t even remember why he was so mad,’’ Ron said with a slight smile. ‘’Maybe you weren’t as important to him as you thought. 

Tom then stopped, ‘’Harry… forgave you?’’ 

‘’Yeah!’’ Ron yelled as an answer, ‘’so can I leave now?’’

Tom laughed a bit. Had he accidentally obliviated Harry’s memory too much? In his mind he was sure Harry would never be friends with Ron once more. Or if he did Ron wouldn’t agree unless Harry stopped talking to Tom. Who had changed Ron’s mind about Tom? ‘’What did the old fool tell you?’’ he demanded, now moving close to the boy.

Ron tried to run off along the wall to the other side of the room but Tom was faster. 

‘’Petrificus Totalus,’’ Tom said and the spell easily hit Ron who tried to block the spell with his hands feebly. Then as the Weasley was frozen to his place, Tom used his wand to keep the boy upwards. 

Then when he had walked to close the Weasley, he turned the frozen head to face him, ‘’look into my eyes.’’ 

When their eyes met Tom quickly delved deep into the boys mind, it was easy as it was an open book. There were no protections at all. Flipping through the memories he found the meeting with the headmaster, he had visited the Weasley’s before the school year started. 

How convenient, for him. 

Then what happened was Dumbledore talking to Ron just before leaving the house. Then he talked to the boy about his struggle, which then lead to Ron talking to the man with his experience of Tom. Everything, along with Tom had said to Ron all those years ago. 

This explains why the old coot was so suspicious of him. Afterwards Dumbledore assured Ron that he can be friends with Harry without Tom being involved. If they just didn’t talk about the boy, there would be no conflict. Yet, the old man added, ‘’if chance ever comes that Tom approached you, try to be open minded.’’ 

And that explained why Dumbledore had wanted him to get Harry get along with Gryffindors. A desire to get them be peaceful, how wonderfully good. It made Tom want to puke. 

If Harry continued to be friends with Ron, he would end up being a bumbling fool. Even without Harry’s memories Tom didn’t want him to fall deeper into Dumbledore’s clutches. Then Tom pulled himself out from Ron’s mind, freeing the boy from the paralysis. Ron’s body fell limp, as he had lost consciousness due to the pain caused by Tom invading his mind. 

Tom frowned, ‘’obliviate.’’ 

Then he erased the memories Ron had of this meeting he had with Tom, then replaced with a more calm discussion, where in the end Ron stumbled over a chair and fell unconscious. 

Oh how clumsy he had been. Then he waited for the boy to wake up, thankfully it didn't take too long. As. Ron realised he was on the floor, he found Tom nearby, "I was unconscious?"

Tom smiled gently, "one of the chairs here was broken so your leg caught on it and you fell over. I think you hit your head on one of the desks," he then waved towards the fallen over chair.

Ron then noticed his head was hurting quite a lot, "blimey, wait you have been waiting for me? Would've thought you would've left me here."

"It did cross my mind," Tom said but then took a vial out of his bag, "I snatched this healing potion from the infirmary on my first day. Helps with headaches mainly, I figured you might have one."

Ron then took the potion and looked at it for a while, "you are being weirdly friendly, how do I know this isn't poison?"

Tom groaned then snatched the potion from Ron's hand and took a sip of it. "There, convinced I'm not trying to poison you?" he said and handed the potion back, which this time Ron drank. 

After the Weasley had finished consuming the potion he looked back at Tom, "why are you helping me?"

"If I left you here to wake up on your own wouldn't you just accuse me later of conspiring against you?" Tom answered.

Ron's face fell as what Tom was saying was true, "I would", but.. Thanks for the potion, I can feel it helping already.’’

‘’Oh and you asked me to make peace with Harry... ‘’ Ron muttered, ‘’I did, we are on terms again, that’s what you hoped for right?’’

Tom nodded, ‘’it’s a start.’’ 

Ron smiled a bit, but then looked outside, realising how dark it was, ‘’oh prefects are going to murder us.’’ 

‘’Just follow me and I’ll make sure none of them spot you,’’ Tom said with a smirk. ‘’I got a special skill, but it’s a secret and if you want to make it to Gryffindor tower without being caught, you will not pass me.’’ Then he walked to the door and waited for Ron to follow. 

Ron then followed Tom, ‘’I don’t want detention so… yeah.’’ 

Then with Tom’s lead through the hallways they made it to the Gryffindor tower quite calmly and without running into anyone. When he said farewell to the Weasley his act fell almost instantly and what was left was a long sigh. It was tiring to act for an airhead. 

At least now, Dumbledore shouldn’t find anything suspicious in Ron’s memories. Even if he did, he wouldn’t be looking for it, hopefully his suspicions weren’t that deep. 

With a heavy step he walked towards the dungeons to end the day. His mind wandered to the diary he had secured from Ginny, it ended up being that the diary had reverted to its original form. It was filled with his recordings from his youth, day by day. 

He had considered obliviating Ginny for seeing into his past and how his mind had worked back then and even worse, reading through what happened to him in the orphanage. But to her it was only a diary of a boy who she didn’t know whatsoever.

Still, it was a loose end he didn’t want to risk.


	9. Chapter 9

Then the week passed, Ron and Harry were once more on speaking terms and Tom noticed they sometimes even ate their meals together. Whenever Tom was around Harry he saw that Ron was sometimes looking towards them awkwardly. He either wanted to join or he wanted Tom to leave so he could go and talk to Harry. 

Other than that Tom was disgusted by the new Defence against the Dark Arts teacher. Gilderoy Lochart, a narcissistic fool that didn’t teach anything that wasn’t about him. Tom just kept quiet during the lessons and tied up to loose ends when it came to the ritual in his mind. Sometimes the man would call on Tom to answer, but when he gave a perfect answer every time the man was disappointed to know he couldn’t put Tom into detention for not paying attention. 

Even if Lockhart was self involved it didn’t compare to the history teacher - Cuthbert Binns. The old man had taught and died on his desk and just continued as a ghost. What even Dumbledore's hiring requirements? Did the man even care anymore, with Lockhart a basic conversation with the man would reveal his ability to teach anything. 

It made Tom even angrier at the fact he had been rejected from his application to be a DADA teacher. The school was rotting under Dumbledore’s rule, that was for certain. Thankfully Lockhart would be there only a maximum of a year, way less if Tom could influence it. 

He visited the chamber only two times that week, not to arouse Dumbledore’s suspicions. Both of the visits were conducted during the night. 

Another notion he had of that week was that the girl - Hermione, was hanging around Harry often. Mostly under the clause of studying together, again it seemed that Hermione and Ron were never around Harry at the same time. 

Hermione didn’t seem to mind approaching Harry when Tom was there, which in turn did grind Tom’s gears a bit, but at least it wasn’t the Weasley. When it came to the Slytherins, they did shadow Tom around quite a bit. It seemed Flint was planning something for Tom, but wasn’t acting on it yet. 

Maybe Flint hadn’t earned the title by pure brute force afterall. When Tom finally received the student files from the Weasley twins he let the two go and told them to shadow Flint whenever they could. Never let him know, of course. He knew the twins ability well enough to know they will not get caught. 

Then that sunday night as Tom was reading through the files, trying to find proper candidates for the ritual a familiar person appeared on the dorm doorway. ‘’Malfoy, what business have you here?’’ Tom questioned, he was the only student in that dorm room at that moment. It was midday so no one else would be spending time there. 

‘’You are wanted in the common room,’’ Malfoy said with a dry tone. 

Tom then put the files to his trunk and locked it properly and then walked next to Malfoy, ‘’judging from your tone, I guess you are not allowed to duel me again.’’

The Malfoy then keeps a sound close to groaning and then starts walking up the stairs to the common room, ‘’come then.’’ Even if the Malfoy was being rude Tom followed him to the common room, where most of the Slytherins were gathered, along with Snape. 

Again on the slightly more elevated part of the room were the more highly ranked students. Probably the leader of each year, there was where Malfoy lead him. Then Tom stopped behind Draco who stopped before Flint. "As you requested I brought Shafiq," he said courtly with a slight bow and then stepped aside to show Tom behind him. 

Flint and Tom then met eyes, "draw your wand." Flint ordered promptly. 

Tom did as asked, waiting for what Flint was expecting. With a side glance to Snape he read the man's expression, concern and slight fear. Interesting, "I realise you are able to cast wordless spells from our last meeting. Yet, it could've just been an act. So I shall examine you personally with a duel."

Tom sighed, "and in return I get the chance to prove I'm someone who just got lucky."

Flint barked a laugh, "it's good you can think that much ahead. Maybe the Potter's teach something else than flowers and rainbows."

Then as Flint drew his wand, Tom changed his poise a bit to prepare for a duel. Then a soft smile entered his face, "I assure you, Potter's didn't teach me anything about dueling," he said and then as Flint readied his stance, Snape walked to the middle. 

The professor was to act as a referee then, hopefully he wouldn't end the duel too early. 

"No curses that could injure your opponent irreversibly or cause loss of limbs. The duel will end when one of the participants admits defeat, is unable to continue or when I call it off," Snape explained. "Let me remind you, even if you hate your opponent, you are housemates. Causing the other to be unrecognisable is strongly looked down upon."

Even if Snape was mostly looking at Flint when explaining this Tom knew Snape was directing it more to him. The man was worried for his students, how sweet.

Later he should let the man remember why he was the Dark Lord, maybe he forgot. "Now, begin!" Snape announced.

Then as the duel started everyone expected for one of the two to shoot a curse, but both of the combatants instead didn't move. Waiting for the other to make a slight move. "From my earlier observation of you Flint I thought you would be more irrational," Tom said, admiring the man's form. 

Even if Flint was not moving, he was still thinking of his every move. But as he was about to do anything he couldn't find an opening in Tom's stance, "you speak a lot Shafiq, yet you aren't showing anything I should be worried about."

It was a lie, Flint was having slight movements of doing different charms and curses, even some jinxes but he didn't act upon them. "I think your loyal followers are worried that you are actually a baby who is scared of an eleven year old," Tom mocked, trying to get the older teen to initiate. 

He wanted to play, ending the duel too soon would be problematic. It had been too long since he had a prey that could fight back before him. Then as Flint was about to respond Tom took a quick step forwards and his wand went through a fluid motion, "depulso." 

When Flint was able to step out of the spells way, he threw a confundo charm towards Tom who then threw the curse straight back at Flint. Then when Flint guarded towards the charm, he was readying his next spell but as he lowered the shield to cast another he was hit by a spell cast by Tom, causing him to fall violently on the floor. 

Before Tom could follow up Flint shouted out, "finite!" After he was able to get up once more, he swept his hair back and eyes met with Tom. 

"You little shit think you are hot because you now some four year spells," Flint spat out in anger. "I went easy on you because I didn't want to form you into an ogre, but scratch that. I'll show you what happens when you are a cocky lil'shit," Flint added and then started out launching spells towards Tom one by one. 

It was an impressive pace of spell casting for a student of his age, as each one took the time to cast the incantation and spell movements. Tom then relaxed a bit and then pretended to be struggling to dodge and shield against the spells. 

Even going as far to let his shield charms break and fall because of too much stress and when one more dropped Flint stopped his casting once more. "Professor Snape, I think it's time to end this foolish duel. It is obvious who is the winner," he laughed.

Snape then shook his head, at which Flint became angry at. Then he turned back to Tom who was getting back up from a squat off the floor. "Give your opponent a sense of superiority to get their guard down," Tom announced. 

"Did you lose your mind Shafiq?" Flint laughed and so did the spectators with him. 

"During you barrage of spells I noticed so many openings and holes in your stance I don't think a wall would stand with so many gaps in it," Tom explained, "I am quite disappointed if this is what the top of Slytherin can do."

Flint then looked at him in confusion, "I don't know if you were paying attention, but you were struggling there."

Then unexpectedly, Snape laughed a bit. Flint turned to look at the professor alongside the other Slytherin's, "excuse me." Was the only thing the head of Slytherin said.

"Thirty seconds, if you can guard against me that whole duration, I'll forfeit the duel," Tom suggested and then Flint laughed in amusement at the ridiculous proposal. 

"You got a deal," Flint agreed, then he turned to Snape who then conjured an hourglass of exactly thirty seconds. 

When the hourglass turned Tom started his attack, completely non verbal. Each second there was a new spell conjured towards Flint, who now was struggling to block even half of the things coming towards him. 

His proteges were falling down and then Tom glanced at the glass, it had passed fifteen seconds. It would be a good time to end it, then he accelerated the casting for a moment and promptly destroyed Flints barrier and hit the man with a choking curse. 

As the last drops of the hourglass fell, everyone in the room watched as Flint was suspended in air and gasping for air. No one dared to say anything and most looked at Snape for the man to call an end to the duel. 

Yet, Snape was scared to step between the Dark Lord and Flint. Tom's eyes were alight with glee and pleasure, locked with Flint's body. As Snape fought with himself, counting the seconds in his head when it was too late to help, Flint's body went limp. 

Then Tom let him go, making the body hit the floor with a loud dud. "Call it," Tom said, then moving his eyes to Snape who then walked to Flint and made sure the teen still had a pulse. 

After confirming the sixth year was still alive, he sighed a breath of relief. "Winner, Thomas Shafiq!" his voice echoed through the room, confirming what everyone knew at that point. 

There was no reaction for a while, which wasn't a shock to Tom. No one would be satisfied with a first year with no name taking down the King, but then a clap was heard. Tom quickly searched for the source, it was Malfoy. 

When people noticed Malfoy clapping others joined in. Then as the room burst into clapping Tom noticed something on the far end of the room, against the wall a magic signature. 

It seems the twins were doing their jobs correctly, then as the clapping died down Tom took a step forward, "according to the Slytherin house rules, it's said anyone who defeats the King in a duel has the right to initiate a vote for a new King. I wish to hold that vote now."

Then a bit of murmurs sounded in the room, indeed Tom did have the right to ask for this but he was just a first year that had been there for one week. "Ah, if you choose me I'll make sure to teach you some of my skills,’’ Tom suggested. ‘’Only to those I deem valuable enough… but as you can see, Hogwarts education can only take you so far.’’

As if on queue all of them looked at Flint unconscious on the ground. If it was so easy to take down the leader of Slytherin, how easy would they fall on the outside. Then Snape carried out the voting box, which was just a wooden box with one button on top. Made by Salazar Slytherin himself, one would put their hand on top of the box and think of the one they were voting for and the vote would register like it. 

When the students lined up and started voting Tom went to the side where he now saw the magical signature be. ‘’I’m guessing it's one you Weasley’s under that cover,’’ Tom greeted, then one of the Slytherin’s closed up on him. The face was very recognisable, they were both in the room.

‘’I didn’t know Slytherin’s had such political things going on!’’ the student said in awe. 

Tom smiled, ‘’it’s all preparation for the outside politics. I am not certain I will win, but this should at least cast my name for running, even if it's only because of pure skill levels. I don’t think Slytherin is willing to let a first year who has been affiliated with a Light family.’’

Then George showed himself, taking his ring off for a moment. ‘’I don’t think they will see it like that,’’ he said and got both Fred and Tom to look at him weirdly. ‘’You know, because you just demonstrated some dark magic,’’ he added. 

Fred then seemed to realise it as well, ‘’oh yeah that choking curse!’’

‘’How do you two know what curse I used?’’ Tom asked. 

‘’Gotta know spells if you are gathering intelligence!’’ Fred chirped proudly. Even George seemed proud about it. 

"You are not bothered that I used a dark curse?" Tom asked, surprised by the nonchalant attitude of the two.

Both of them shrugged, "after that contract I think we are happy you aren't going around killing people. Roughing up Flint ain't the worse thing to do. It’s surprising Snape let it pass, he is usually so tight about these things.’’

Tom puffed a bit of air, Severus wouldn’t dare to tell him not to do something. Only if he was clearly stepping a line there would be a reason to stop the Dark Lord from going wild. Yet, at the end of the war, he was really making leaps over that line. Still, there were enjoyable moments. ‘’Me and professor Snape have an understanding between us,’’ Tom said then. 

‘’Oh yeah, you used to go to his house a lot,’’ Fred said and then George realised it as well. ‘’I guess he lets his star students off with a lot of things,’’ George snickered. 

Tom didn’t respond but it seemed the voting was coming to a close and Malfoy was starting to look towards him, ‘’best if you two blend in once more.’’ When he said that George put on his ring once more and disappeared and Fred walked off as well. Malfoy then joined him looking around in confusion. 

‘’I thought I saw someone with red on their robes,’’ he said in confusion. 

Tom just stared at him blandly, ‘’I think I knocked your head too hard last week, you are seeing things.’’

Malfoy then shook his head, ‘’nevermind that. I talked to everyone in years three and under, you have their support.’’ 

Tom smiled, there was a lot of his father in Draco. It was impressive he was already respected by students a year above him, ‘’I’m surprised you are giving me your support.’’

Malfoy then lifted his chin a bit, ‘’it is politics Tom. If a new King is elected I want to be in a high enough position to make changes. Flint was a trainwreck, he didn’t care about how the house looks like on the outside. We are scattered and weak.’’

‘’Do you think people hate Flint enough on the upper years to vote him off?’’ Tom questioned, reading the expressions on the Malfoys face. 

‘’I think so, at least half of every class is hateful of him, they just haven’t done anything because they were too afraid of his skill. Today, you proved to them he is defeatable,’’ Malfoy explained with a sneer. 

If Tom would rate the kid on sucking up, he was doing a good job on it. ‘’It seems I have a good chance of taking over,’’ Tom said, of course he already knew that. If there hadn’t been any possibility of him getting the title of King, he wouldn’t have brought it up. ‘’I’ll keep you in mind Malfoy, you have been a great help,’’ he ended with a soft smile. 

Snape then announced that the voting was done and then activated the cube. It flashed through different shades of green and silver until it stopped at the green, then showing out ‘Thomas Shafiq’. Without it being a surprise there was more slight clapping and then slight boo’s, he had probably won only by a slight difference.

Now, he had two months before a new vote could be called. Then as he walked to the front he looked upon the Slytherins, ‘’I would thank you, but instead I will show my gratitude through actions instead of hiding behind weak promises,’’ Tom stated firmly and then walked off, leaving the room wondering if they really had made the right decision or not. 

One of the upper years then followed him down the steps, Tom recognised him as one of the prefects, ‘’Terence Higgs, I’m a fifth year prefect. I will be showing you to your new quarters.’’

‘’Ah yes, show the way,’’ Tom agreed and followed Higgs. 

‘’The house elves were informed the moment you were selected and such your and Flints possessions have been switched around. You can also choose if you want someone else to join you in your quarters… in later years,’’ he explained, with the last sentence he looked at Tom up and down. 

Indeed, even if Tom was quite well built and tall for his age he was still only eleven years old. It was a bother, but thanks to the potions he was consuming he was looking a few years older than he actually was. Then when they reached the room, Higgs opened the door and let Tom in. ‘’Hope you like it, don’t get too comfortable though,’’ he remarked and closed the door while leaving. 

Snarky, but it was understandable people weren’t expecting Tom to last as the King, but he planned to keep the position as long as he was in Hogwarts. With a sour face he walked to mirror to look at himself, his hair was starting to be quite long. He had tied it up on the nape of his neck, so it usually was hanging out in his back. He had some short hairs framing his face that were curling up. 

During the years he hadn’t thought much about the hair, but now he was wondering should he cut it. Yet, when his hair was short the curls looked disheveled and not very clean. It was more manageable this way, also gave him a look that no one else had. 

Then he turned around to look at the room, there was a king size bed and a table on the side. Next to the table was a shelf with a collection of books that the previous Kings of Slytherin had left there. Tom walked to the shelf and leaned in, ‘’open.’’ The parseltongue words then made the shelf start to turn and revealed a new path. 

Tom was pleased the path still worked, it was made by Slytherin to make the King have a shortcut to the chamber. This would make accessing the chamber easier, Tom had discovered it in his third year accidentally when looking through the chamber. At that point he was very close to getting the title already, it was a good year for him. 

‘’Close,’’ he ordered when a knock sounded on the door. When the shelf closed down the pathway he walked to the door and opened it, revealing a happy Malfoy on the other side. 

Then with smugness Malfoy walked into the room, ‘’I was always jealous of Flint when he had this room, it is so very extravagant.’’

Tom then shut the door and turned to look at Malfoy quite annoyed. ‘’I assumed our discussion was already done Malfoy,’’ he remarked and watched as Malfoy sat in one of the velvet chairs in the room. 

‘’I am not a fool Shafiq, now that you are King I intend to aid you with all my capabilities. But the thing is, you don’t know anything about the students in the house. That is where I step in, after all without my support you wouldn't be here now or in the future,’’ he explained. 

Tom then walked over to his belongings, taking out all the student files that were about the Slytherin students and placing them in front of Malfoy. ‘’I do not need your knowledge Malfoy, I have made my own research,’’ he said firmly, looking down on the blonde. 

As Malfoy looked through the files his expression turned into confusion, ‘'where did you get all of this?’’ 

Tom just smiled in response. ‘’I know about you as well Malfoy. Your father is a Death Eater, even getting out of being sent to Azkaban by stating to have been under the Imperius curse. I think we both know, that is not true, your father had willingly taken the mark. Your mother in turn has only stated to be a supporter of the pureblood supremacy agenda, her sister being in Azkaban along with her husband for attacking Alice Longbottom.’’ 

‘’How do you-’’ Draco stammered. 

‘’The next time you walk into this room trying to blackmail me, think twice or I’ll make sure that father of yours or the potion professor you call your godfather can’t do anything to prevent your agony,’’ he breathed out, his magic making the pressure in the room thick and heavy. 

Draco’s eyes were wide open for a moment but then he laughed a bit and got up. ‘’There is no backing to your words,’’ Draco said. ‘’Don’t think now that you are the King you are untouchable, Professor Snape didn’t give two shits about you yesterday and he won’t give any today,’’ Draco said with a huff of air. 

Then a knock came on the door and Tom seemed to wave at the door for Draco, ‘’why don't you ask him yourself.’’

Draco then walked to the door and opened it, revealing an annoyed Severus on the other side. ‘’Shafiq… You had something you wanted to discuss with me, should I wait in my office?’’ he asked, surprised Draco was there. 

‘’Draco here was telling me how I should not get cocky or arrogant…’’ Tom started, seeing a flash of nervousness in the man. ‘’Oh and he has something he wants to ask,’’ Tom said and gave a nod to Malfoy to continue the discussion. 

Then the blonde took a few steps back and turned to sneer at Tom, ‘’Shafiq says he has the power to make me squeal in agony and you couldn’t do anything about it or neither would my father,’’ Draco said condescendly. ‘’Then like I said to Shafiq,’’ Draco turned to look at Tom, ‘’your ego is writing checks you can’t cash.’’ 

Severus just stood there, his left arm blazing with pain, signaling how furious the Dark Lord was at Draco. ‘’Shut up Draco,’’ he breathed out, ‘’go and wait in my office.’’

Then Draco looked at him and then to Tom, then back to Snape. ‘’No, explain this to me right now or-’’ he screeched but Snape just looked at him deadly when he attempted to argue. With a slight step backwards he seethed and looked back at Tom, ‘’this is not over!’’ 

Then he walked out of the room, banging the door closed on his way out. Then there was Tom and Snape looking at each other in the room. ‘’Forgive the boy, he was raised to believe he can get anything he wanted. I’ll make sure to not meddle in your business,’’ Snape said with a low tone. 

‘’I find him promising, he has the intelligence and ambition to take him far in life. The Malfoy’s have always been loyal and hardworking, yet I intend to teach the youngest Malfoy to be even better than his father and grandfather ever were,’’ Tom explained, with a glee in his eyes. 

Needless to say, Snape was worried for Draco, he was still a child. A foolish boy at that. ‘’Maybe instead of Draco you could consider someone more capable?’’ Snape suggested but regretted it instantly as Tom pierced him with his eyes. 

‘’If I need your opinion Severus I shall ask for it,’’ Tom said, ‘’you are really slipping now that I am in Hogwarts... Could it be bothering you I am influencing the youths of the future while I am residing in this school?’’ 

‘’No, my lord. I know that your plans are dependent that you form bonds and social ties for the future. Also that you need to graduate from a school, so you aren’t seen as someone.. Subpar,’’ Snape explained, and Tom hummed in a pleased tone. 

Tom drew out his wand, the old one. ‘’Still, there are multiple times when you are telling me how to act. If I am to be someone who can rise through the ranks of politicians, I need to establish foundation. Even if Draco is your godson, I promise I won’t bring any harm to the boy,’’ Tom explained, ‘’granted… he doesn’t beg for it.’’ 

Severus nodded, his eyes hitting that wand that was on the Dark Lord’s lap, resting and waiting. ‘’It is a shame we are in Hogwarts… Saerum,’’ Tom casted, sending the spell towards Severus. It was a parseltongue spell which caused the receptor to believe they had been poisoned, feeling the burning in his veins. A milder spell than crucio, but still extremely uncomfortable to experience. 

As Severus convulsed on the floor Tom finally let go of the spell, ‘’don’t worry it should wear down in a day or two. After that I hope you keep your tongue in check Severus.’’

‘’Of course my lord,’’ he agreed, not wanting to invoke anymore of the Dark Lord’s anger. 

Tom chuckled lightly, ‘’you may leave, make sure not to show the Malfoy your current weakness…’’ At that Severus bowed a bit and left the room, knowing fully well the Dark Lord knew what he was doing when sending Snape to Draco immediately after torturing him. 

Draco would notice and know better than to go against Tom again. Yet, like this Draco wouldn't have to bear any consequences but got an example what could happen. 

*****

Harry was finding himself enjoying the presence of Hermione and Ron in his life, it seemed things were looking up for him. Still, after a few weeks of school had showed some distress to him, Tom wasn't around as much. 

Every time he tried approaching his brother during the second week it seemed futile. There was always a Slytherin there to stop him or he was too busy to spare a moment for Harry. If those weren't troublesome enough there was a friendship blooming between Draco Malfoy and Tom during the week. 

The blonde seemed to be tied to Tom in the hallways and during lunches. This all accumulated to him spending more time with the Gryffindors, after a week of not speaking to his brother much he was slightly confused. Then when he saw George and Fred in the hallways he took the opportunity to ask around, "Fred, George!"

Then when the twins turned around to see who was calling for them they smiled a bit at Harry, "isn't it Potter, still having an eternal bad hair day huh?" Fred then ruffled Harry's hair while laughing. 

Harry pushed the hand off his head, ‘’have you guys talked to Tom?’’

Then the twins looked at each other for a second and turned back to Harry. ‘’Actually we are just going to see him. Wanna tag along?’’ George suggested but a hit in his side by Fred. Harry scrunched his eyebrows in confusion. 

‘’That would be great!’’ he said excitedly. 

Fred frowned and glanced angrily at his brother, "now we won't be able to discuss," he paused taking a sharp breath, "ugh you know what you dimwit."

"But it's Harry, why wouldn't Tom want to see him?" George said, not really seeing anything problematic going on. 

"Wait, why are you looking for Tom? Don't you see him like daily already," Fred asked, now realising something was off. 

Harry then became slightly sadder, "yeah, well it's just that everytime I try to talk to him he just tells me he is busy. I don't get how though, even if he was studying he could just drop it and spare time for me."

"Weird," George noted. 

Fred nodded too, "yes, even for Tommy."

"Tommy?!" Harry screeched, then laughed in amusement. "Don't tell me you called him that while he heard? No, he wouldn't want to be around you two anymore after that."

"We have," George and Fred said. 

Harry then chuckled, "ah he must really like you two then." 

"We have reached the cold heart of Thomas," Fred said with a slight tune in his voice. George then realised that they had been there for a while, "we need to start going, come Harry let's go surprise Tom!"

Harry lit up, "thanks George and Fred!"

Then the three happily walked towards the dungeons to the Slytherin common rooms. When they reached the entrance they were met with Draco at the entrance, "why is Potter here?"

"I'm coming to see my brother!" Harry said, angry that Malfoy was questioning him being there. 

Then the blonde turned to look at Fred and George, "I was only told to bring you two inside, not Potter. It was strict orders not to let anyone else enter. If it was up to me - no Gryffindors would be allowed inside."

"Now, now Draco don't be so sour," Fred started. 

"Harry is with us, you know if required we can get you out of Tommy's good light," George said with a smile. 

Fred snickered, "and we all know you are holding onto your position very feebly."

Harry just listened to the conversation very confused. When did Tom become so important that Draco had to follow his orders, "fine, but no one can see Potter inside and whatever happens will be on you two."

"Oh, we got that covered!" George said and then pulled out a ring and grabbed Harry's hand, "now don't be alarmed, it may tingle."

Then he slid the ring down Harry's finger, making disappear from view. They were expecting a yelp, but they didn't know Harry was already in the possession of a similar object. "Now, let's go!" Fred said with a clap. Draco just reminded himself not to comment on the disappearance act, he had learned better not with the twins.

First time he had argued about the two being around Tom was met with teasing and finding a mud frog in his shampoo a few days later. When bringing this issue to Tom, the boy just told him it wasn't his issue. 

While walking through the quiet common room the twins approached Draco, "I'm surprised you managed to get the pink off your hair so quickly."

"We made the mix very potent afterall," they said in turn, while lifting strands of hair. Then while moving them they revealed a pink root. 

"You just covered it!" Fred said with a snicker. 

Draco slapped the hands off and smoothed over his hair once more, "I wish you would end your childish pickering."

"Did you spray your hair?" George asked, but then stopped when they reached Tom's room. "Aww, we gotta say goodbye to Draco!" he moaned and then opened the door, seeing Tom at his desk, working. 

When Tom turned to greet them, his face dropped a bit. "Draco wait outside," he ordered and the blonde then shut the door after the twins walked in. Tom then got up and approached the twins.

"Something to tell me?" he asked, his eyes hitting Harry who was standing to the right of Fred. The temperature in the room seemed to drop, as his patience grew thin. "I don't think I gave you two the rings so you could smuggle in people that I did not ask for," he said with a cold tone. 

"Calm down Tommy," Fred said, not really understanding how angry Tom was. 

Tom then pulled out his wand, quickly having it at the neck of Fred. "You better tell the person to take off the ring immediately or our cooperation is done," Tom spat with venom. 

George then calmly put his hand on the wand, meeting Tom's eyes. "It's Harry," he said surprisingly calm.

That was when Harry took off the ring and looked at Tom, his eyes round and wide. There was a slight bit of fright in them, "oh.." Tom muttered, lowering his wand and putting back to his holster. 

Harry then gulped and straightened his back a bot, "what is going on here…?" he said in a confused tone. His eyes met those of Fred and George's, they just sighed and looked back to Tom. 

"Sorry Tom, we didn't know you'd react so pointedly to us disguising Harry," Fred said, happy to not be on the other end of Tom's wand anymore. Then Fred pulled Harry in front of him, ruffling the boy's hair. 

"But hey! The Potter's have reunited, let's celebrate!" he then said with a smile. 

"Harry, get out," Tom said without even a change of tone in his voice. 

Harry's eyes then widened, "what, why?" 

Tom then walked to the door and opened it, revealing Draco standing on the other side. "Escort Harry out," he ordered and Draco nodded, when the blond looked at Harry he looked quite smug. 

George and Fred frowned, the blonde was just glowing with an 'I told you so' aura. Tom then turned to look at Harry waiting for him to go, but Harry wasn't moving. "Tom talk to me," Harry then demanded, his tone serious. 

"I am and I am telling you to leave," Tom stated simply. 

Harry's confusion then turned into anger, "first you tell me to make up with Ron and now you are avoiding me? You have been odd since you met with Dumbeldo-"

"Shut up," Tom interrupted him, "you are being emotional."

Harry then walked to the door, "someone has to be when you don't seem to be reacting at all. It's like trying to argue with a statue."

When Tom didn't answer and just waited for Harry to leave the room Harry's eyes watered. There was some piece of hope inside him that Tom would laugh then and tell him it was just a joke and he was sorry. 

But Harry knew it wasn't, he had seen this expression on Tom before, cold and distant, as if he wants the person before him to just vanish. It just was never towards Harry before, "you know Tom… I've seen you do all kinds of things to avoid people but I thought I knew you and I was the exception. Yet, lately it seems I am not even in your view."

Tom just stared at him, waiting for the outburst to end. "I thought I was the exception and maybe I was foolish to think otherwise," Harry said and a lone tear fell down his cheek, he was biting down his cheek to keep himself calm as well as he could. 

"I think it's time for you to go," Tom said, as if he hadn't heard what Harry had tried to convey to him. But then he put his hand on his neck and locked eyes with Harry, his mouth mouthing something. 

Harry's eyes widened a bit when he realised what it was, "I just don't understand!" Then he walked out of the room and into the hallways, Draco walking behind him. 

Harry stomped through the common room and back to the hallway, when he stopped at the door he realised Draco was still following behind him. "What? What do you want Malfoy?" he asked loudly, tired of everything around him right now. Seeing the biggest thorn on his side be there didn't help even slightly. 

"I'm just here to make sure you make it out alright and without wandering anywhere you aren't needed at Potter. That includes going back inside now that you know today's password," Draco explained calmly, but even he was surprised that Harry was so emotional. 

Even to Draco he saw Harry and Tom being close, but maybe he had been wrong in his assessment. "Since when did you become my brother's lackey? Look at you following his every word like it's pure gold," Harry said with an angry huff in the end. 

"It suits you to be mad at things you do not understand," Draco said with a slight smile.

"I can't really do anything else," Harry shot back, "because I am excluded from everything, now even Tom keeps things from me!"

"No one will hand you the answers in a silver spoon, it's naive to think people owe you to explain everything," Draco said, his tone mocking. 

Harry laughed, "so they just bribe everyone with new brooms like you had done?"

Draco shrugged, "I get results - you do not."

"I'm going to make the team this year and beat your ass you pretentious prick," Harry said and walked off, wanting to get away from the snake den. It was all about being smarter and devious, Harry really couldn't deal with it anymore. 

If they wanted to hide things - then Harry would make it his business to find out what was hidden from him.


	10. Chapter 10

In the room was then left with Tom and the twins. Tom shut the door and turned to the twins, "so, how is Flints resistance coming?"

Fred and George shared a look, trying to figure out should they bring up what happened. "It's growing in numbers, yet most of the recruits are concerned with Flints leading capabilities now that you have implemented the tutoring lessons for lower years during Wednesdays," George explained.

"It should come out soon I plan to help the fifth years with nonverbal magic," Tom explained, "it also helps me to earn the respect of more Slytherin's."

Fred then coughed a bit, "there is also a problem we would like to discuss with you."

"Other than my brother?" Tom asked, sitting on his desk once more. The twins flinched a bit at that but then shook their heads. 

"Actually it's about Ginny," Fred breathed out. Tom was surprised they would bring her up, did they know about the diary and his past? 

Tom then folded his arms together and leaned back in his chair, "what about her?"

"We are worried she is being excluded by her classmates," George started and Fred nodded in agreement. "Usually she is very energetic and social but whenever we have tried to talk to her she has responded with the tiniest bit of words," Fred added. 

"Ginny is now a Slytherin, if she can't deal with the mind games and politics, she wouldn't have been sorted here," Tom responded, as if it wasn't anything important to even consider. 

Fred then frowned, "it's about that too, I don't think she is supposed to be in Slytherin. At the end of the summer she was really glued to this one book and got obsessed with it, changing how she acted and talked with it."

"Yeah, it was super weird but we really didn't pay much attention to it. We actually thought she was doing it to impress-" then George stopped talking when Fred put his hands on his mouth.

Then Fred drew back and laughed a bit, "I think she getting sorted into Slytherin is just her wanting to be someone else, someone she isn't."

"So, what am I supposed to do about it?" Tom asked. 

"You are in the same class right? Be around her or talk to her, make her be in the spotlight. If you are around her the snakes might see that she isn't so bad," George suggested. 

Tom sighed, "the past week I've struggled to show Slytherin's I am a good King, if I were to be seen with Ginny it would just hurt me."

"We get that, but you are Tom! You can just strike down everyone who tries to oppose you," Fred said with a solid grin. 

They realized that wasn't a good suggestion to make towards Tom. "It's not my problem," Tom stated firmly, ending the discussion. But the twins weren't thinking it was something that could be dropped so easily. 

"Colin Creevey," Fred then said and dropped the in question file on Tom's desk. Then as Tom picked up the file he went through it with ease. 

"A muggleborn," Tom noted and let it down. 

Then Fred took the file back up and returned it with a new one, "his mother is a descendant from a French pureblood line, she was disowned and lost the name. I don't think Colin or his family know about it though, we came across the information with pure luck."

"I see, how did you find out about it then?" Tom asked now looking through the file having the mother's information. 

"Last summer we befriended this frenchwoman having a holiday in England. After a few weeks of meeting her she spilled all of her family secrets to us, one of them being about her long lost Aunt that she was trying to find," George said with a devious grin. 

Fred nodded, "we compiled the names and ages and realised the long lost Aunt was Augusta Creevey, Colin Creevey's mother. Should fit your requirements perfectly."

Tom thought through it and flipped through the pages, "you sure this information from your summer fling is to be trusted?"

"Yup! It's something her mother never mentioned and she only found because she was going through the records and saw her grandmother had had two daughters instead of one," Fred explained. 

"Colin Creevey is a half blood then," Tom stated. It was indeed some good information and a perfect candidate for the ritual. "A loner, I assume?" he asked once more. 

"Completely, he is really energetic but the personality pushes people away more than towards him. Even in Gryffindor I don't see him with anyone else," George explained. 

Fred relaxed a bit, "I don't understand why you even asked us to find someone with such tight requirements. What you have in plans for the boy?"

"None of your business," Tom said and put the folder down. "I honestly expected for you two to take longer to find someone, good work," Tom praised the two, which in turn got them to be more pleased. 

"If you ever let us in on your plans, we could help you even more," Fred said with glee. Then when met with a meaningful look from Tom, Fred took a step back, ‘’find me a halfblood, preferably a male, needs to have a brother or other siblings and not older than fourteen years old. No notable connections in the school, someone nobody notices in the daily basis.’’ Was what Fred then said, mimicking the tone Tom spoke in. 

Tom then waited until Fred made his point. ‘’Now, if it was someone like me or George, a thought would pop in to their head while investigating. These fit someone very familiar to us,’’ he explained and George then nodded. 

A slight nod downwards appeared on Tom’s mouth. Those were the conditions that were the best for the sacrifices, as the blood would be very close to Harry’s. Having siblings ensured that the bloodlines they came from wouldn’t die out. No longtime harm done to anyone really, expect the ‘donor’. ‘’Now, why are you looking for someone to match Harry?’’ Fred ended and seemed to be really happy they had figured out something about Tom. 

‘’I do not wish to discuss-’’ Tom started but was cut off by George putting his hand on Tom’s mouth. 

‘’Yeah, yeah, well if you don’t want us to start investing your activities on our own… Ginny needs to be helped,’’ George then said with a grin. Tom was first mad, but appreciated the tactics the two were using. 

Even if they were Gryffindors, they were shaping up to be quite good Slytherin's as well. "I'll skip over you two threatening me, I'll see what I can do about your sister. Yet, if she doesn't wish for help, I shall not do anything," Tom agreed. 

George then stepped back and smiled, "if you are the one to approach her, she will be happy to accept any kind of help."

Fred then nodded in agreement. "Don't think I haven't noticed he staring at me during our lessons," Tom noted, it was a lot of work to ignore her constant stares. If he ever looked towards her, it just made her oggle more intensely.

"Don't take it in the wrong way," Fred said. 

George agreed, "she just looks up to you."

Tom groaned and realised he had one more problem to deal with. It was starting to be a struggle to keep up with all of it. Considering now he couldn't ket Harry see anything he was doing. So um, we better get going and want us to keep an eye on Harry?" Fred asked and walked over to the door, George joining him.

"No, let him be," Tom answered. 

The twins shared a concerned look towards Tom, "whatever you are mad at him about, hope it rolls over soon! You two have always been so close."

"You should go now," Tom stated and turned his attention towards the documents on his desk. The twins then shrugged and opened the door. 

"Toodles!" they yelled and walked out, leaving Tom in the room. He didn't want to keep Harry at an arm's length. Truthfully, it made him mad to see him so close to the Weasley and Granger. 

Even during the week there were many times Tom had wanted to go to Harry and know how his day had been, it was odd. The same feeling arose when he was alone in the Potter house when Harry was already in school. Out of his reach - the only difference now was that there was a constant reminder of it daily. 

Something inside him ached, but if he reached too much and pulled him to his side now… Dumbledore would know. All he had seen today we're already a dangerous reminder how easily it all could fall apart. Right now he needed to finalize it all and do the ritual. 

Sooner than ever now, all he needed was a cover for the disappearances about to come and he knew the perfect scapegoat. 

*****

"I can't believe Lockhard is making us read his books!" Ron groaned at the book before him. "The only thing I'm learning is how big of a prick he is," he added. 

As Ron was banging his head on the desk, trying to figure out why this school year was so horrible. Last year Quirrell was bearable even if he was stuttering most of the time, the amount of reading was still exactly the same. Only now it was about a narcissistic ass. 

Even Harry agreed with Ron on the mentality, the only difference was that he had read through the books during the summer. Instead he was lost in his own head trying to wrap around everything that had happened with Tom. 

"Mm, yeah…" Harry just agreed with Ron. There wasn't anything he had done to invoke Tom's anger and now he was pushing him away. Should he really try and figure it out himself? Taking Draco's advise would be the last thing he wanted to do, but the blonde had made sense. 

Ron then pushed Harry a bit, "what?" Harry asked, when he regained his balance. 

"You've been spacing out all the time the past few days. It's like you're not even present anymore," the Weasley said with slight worry. 

"I'm just thinking about stuff," Harry said, rubbing his arm where Ron had pushed him.

Ron then tapped his fingers a bit on the table and then closed the book before him. "I know you are worried about the Quidditch team tryouts, but you are going to get in fine!" Ron explained. 

Harry's eyes widened, he had honestly forgotten about it completely. "Yeah, it's tomorrow isn't it," he muttered. 

"I heard the current seeker is a complete train wreck! If you ask me, he is the reason we lost last year. You would race him out of the sky mate!" Ron explained excitedly. 

Harry nodded, "wait, I didn't tell you I was hoping for the seeker position."

"When we were kids you always talked about how you wanted to be a seeker like your dad, I just assumed that was still true," Ron said with a carefree shrug.

It was true when Harry had been young and hadn't met Tom yet. After Tom it felt like something in his head had changed, but the feeling of loving flying always stayed the same. "I'm going to be fine with whatever role they put me in, yet I think seeker is what I'm thriving for. More freedom," Harry explained. 

Being high and feeling the wind slide through your side the faster you move was exhilarating. "Knew it, but like I said you are a natural there won't even be competition with it!" Ron said enthusiastic. 

Then Harry noticed from the corner of his eye George and Fred leaving the common room, one twin throwing a ring to the other. Were they about to go to meet with Tom again? "Ron, I need to go!" Harry said and ran off, thankfully he had had his cloak with him for the past few days. Just in case an opportunity showed himself.

"What, wait where are you going? It's eight in the evening," Ron said as he watched Harry get up in a hurry. With haste he too got up and followed after Harry. 

Chasing Harry to the hallway, he saw his classmate take out a cloak and wrapping it around him. Before him Ron saw Harry disappear completely from view, "wow, that's awesome." However whenever the coolness of the move had expired Harry was already long gone.

While Ron returned to the common room, Harry was quickly following George and Fred, spotting one of them at a corner. Harry watched as they put on the ring and morphed into a completely different person, even the robe matching the Slytherin colors. If Tom had given them the rings, where had he gotten them? 

Possibly from the same vault he had received the amulets, Harry's hand brushed over the necklace. When his mind started growing more angry at the frustration of not knowing more. Shaking his head he refocused and started following behind the now disguised Weasley. 

If his assumption was correct one of them was invisible as well, which brought the problem could he accidentally ran into him. His mind started to reason how had Tom noticed him being there, even if he was invisible. 

Then he noticed as if a twinkle next to the walking twin. No, it was more of a shimmer. A very faint shimmer that was travelling alongside them. Carefully, he took a few steps forward quicker, catching up with the Weasley. 

The more he focused on them the more they appeared, it was almost as if they were all around him all of a sudden. The cloak was covered with them, yet it was an all different kinds of shades. If Harry stopped focusing, they would disappear and fade. It was as if someone had sprinkled glitter of all colors in his eyes.

It was very beautiful as they moved around in his vision. It seemed to be wrapping over the cloak as a wave while the castle walls were coated with silver toned hue that was linear and adamant. The world suddenly shined with color to Harry's eyes, but he pulled his focus back to the twins. There was still the figure following behind the masked student.

Harry's arm reached towards the foggy like substance and when his arm hit something solid he retreated immediately and took a quick step backwards. 

_ They really were there _ , he realised. Then as he was immobile, so had stopped the person he was trailing. "What? You felt someone… you must be imagining it Fred," he said quietly with a slight laugh. 

Harry's breathing had shot up, his mind trying to figure out what exactly was going on. Then he noticed that Fred had now taken the ring off and had his wand out and pointed towards Harry. With panic Harry took a step to the side and he understood the Weasley was only pointing it towards the way he had been touched.

" _ Revelio _ ," Fred breathed out and cast the magic. When the blue light shot from his wand towards the hallway it travelled just in front of Harry.

Watching the light of the spell fly was interested to Harry. The magic he normally saw was now wrapped with a second layer, the dim wrapping of the shimmer. And as it faded away Harry's eyes observed it goes out like a fire. 

Never had he been so interested in the spells they cast - yet it seemed as if time stopped when he observed the simple revelio. As if he was fishing and caught a fish, he pulled on the string on the back of his mind.

It was the same nagging feeling he had whenever around Neville and whenever he spoke to Tom, something was off. His hand lifted to the necklace laying next to his chest, it had a multiple layers of the shimmer on its surface.

As Harry held it, he didn't even notice the twins had already left the hallway and continued their journey forwards. Everything Harry's ears picked up was his heartbeat, as his eyes focused on the amulet.

Why had Tom signaled to it and said something. Again the feeling came back, he knew what Tom had said, he had heard it before. Those familiar words, but it seemed like there was a wall trapping him from accessing the source.

He fell on the floor with his back against the wall, the spell and how it had been so alight. Thinking on it warmed him, brought him calm and he didn't understand what was the meaning why. As his body was feeling drained and exhausted, the string pulling in his mind tugged.

As if his head was being split, a couple memories flooded back to him.

_ "-glance into the fire and I see dancing of the ash flying in the air."  _

_ A burning residence, screams joined with need to protect - to preserve.  _

** _I will make sure to be by his side._ **

With heavy breaths he shot back. The image of the flames was so very clear, but whose desires had they been? 

It couldn't have been him, there was no way… Then his head felt as if it dropped into darkness and sweet slumber claimed him.

*****

With a sharp gasp of breath Harry awoke, his chest tight with pain. Trying to move he realised his body was full of fatigue and wasn't budging, there was just an immense pressure pressing down on him. 

With a calming breath he looked around, trying to spot something familiar. At his bedside was Neville sitting there, turning then to look at Harry. His classmates eyes widened when he realised Harry was awake, "Madame Pomfrey!! He is awake again!" 

_ Again? _ Harry tried asking but his voice didn't work at all, his throat was dry and hoarse and his attempt to talk ended up with him coughing. 

Then as he was coughing he heard rushing foot steps towards him, "water, drink it." Was what he heard and a cup was brought to his lips, which he then drank. The coughing then stopped and he looked towards Madame Pomfrey. Her body was humming with specs of light, dancing around her. 

As his throat still hurt he didn't attempt speaking again, instead he waited for Pomfrey to take out a vial. "This potion will help with your throat and the fever you have," she explained and Harry then drank the potion given to him. 

As she said, it did help and his throat seemed to smooth over. "What… happened?" he asked, his voice hoarse. 

"A fifth year prefect found you in the hallway passed out a few days ago and brought you here. Your pulse was quite weak and a fever had gone up," Pomfrey explained, "then as the Headmaster came to visit you it revealed another problem.."

"Problem..?" Harry asked, his eyes hitting Neville, who was a few feet away from Pomfrey. 

"If there are too many people around you with magic, your body starts rapidly declining and from my observations… It cannot handle the stress of too much magic. Having Dumbledore here - a wizard with a high amount of magic - revealed the problem," Pomfrey explained. 

"What- but that doesn't make any sense..!" Harry said, his mind confused from the shock and absurdity of the issue. 

Pomfrey slightly shook her head, her expression not wavering from the seriousity that it had, "it seems your body has built a sensitivity for magic. Have you ever felt anything off or something different from others?"

"Not really… Just before I lost consciousness… I remember seeing these sparkles all around me. They were more gathered in places with more magic," Harry explained. 

"And this was the first time this has happened?" Pomfrey questioned again.

Harry shook his head, his body was starting to feel the potion and felt more light. "Never.." he admitted. 

Pomfrey then turned to Neville, "will you go inform Professor McGonagall that Mr Potter has awoken for me Mr Longbottom?" 

"Y-yes!" Neville said with hesitation but headed out of the room then.

Then as the student had left the infirmary Pomfrey sat on Harry's bed, turning towards him. "You have been asleep for two days, the only people that have been allowed to see you have been those from the lower years and in small groups. Neville was the one tasked with watching you today."

"That's… a long time," Harry admitted, then as he thought on it he realised something dire. "The try-outs for the Quidditch team…" he mumbled sadly. 

Pomfrey then slapped his arm a bit, "young man if you had made it to that field, you would've fallen a few seconds after getting up in the air. Your body is overloaded with magic!"

"Overloaded?" Harry questioned. 

"I still do not know how, but it seems your body has too much magic inside it. It seems it is trying to absorb magic from around you to fill itself up, even though you are already spilling over," Pomfrey explained. "This in turn has made it so that whatever magic is around you, your body is trying to reach out to it constantly. With my predictions as long as you don't come in contact with sources of too much magic, you should be fine," she ended her explanation. 

"What if I see… Magic?" Harry asked.

"The sparkles? Can you still see them?" Pomfrey asked and Harry nodded. The nurse was being surrounded by them, it was calm and soothing. "It is the first time I have seen this, but I believe you are sensitive to magic to the point that you can see and feel it," she explained.

"All because I have too much magic?" Harry asked, confused. 

"That is my theory, but it's odd. It is as if someone has pushed their magic into you for many years… And now it seemed to have stopped all of a sudden and because your body was used to it, it's reaching out to get the same reaction," Pomfrey explained. 

Harry frowned and then Pomfrey reached out and tried Harry's forehead. "Odd, it still seems as if your body is warm…" she said, "the potion should've lowered the fever."

"I feel your warmth as well," Harry said and as he focused on the hand he felt the same as he did when… he touched Tom. It was the similar calming and warm feeling. 

Pomfrey then pulled back her hand and felt it, it wasn't warmer than before. "It seems something peculiar is going on with your body, after Professor McGonagall has visited you I will have to run more tests to be sure. Now that you are awake, it should be simpler to find the answers."

Harry nodded slightly and tried getting up, this time his body let him get up. "Don't push yourself too much, if I see you get up from the bed, I will make sure to drag you back in there myself," Pomfrey said firmly.

Then as the door opened and McGonagall walked in, Pomfrey got up from the bed and went to get a thermometer from her supplies. "It's good to see that you are awake Mr Potter," the professor greeted.

Harry lowered his head a bit in greeting. "I'm sorry for missing so many classes professor," he apologized. 

"It's no trouble, but you do have to catch up later. I will have Ms Granger bring everything here later so you can study," she explained, then took something from her coat pocket. It was a letter and she handed it to Harry. 

"Your brother cannot be allowed to visit you, apparently the magic he has is too much for you to bear. This is a letter he wrote to you, for when you woke up," she explained it and Harry took the letter and looked at it for a while. 

"Thank you," he said and put the letter on the desk next to him.

It was a shame that Tom couldn't be there. "Even I cannot stay for long, but Pomfrey explained your condition should ease within a few weeks. Then we shall be making some new adjustments to your studies," the professor explained. 

"Can I continue being im Hogwarts..?" Harry asked, if he couldn't even be close to Tom then who could he be close to. 

Then in time Pomfrey came back and stuck the thermometer to Harry's mouth. "I don't think that is something we should be discussing yet and you should be focusing on recovering!" Pomfrey said and crossed her arms. 

Harry then kept himself quiet and waited for McGonagall to continue, "you may continue studying as long as we can be assured that your condition won't get worse even if you attend classes."

Then as the thermometer beeped Pomfrey took it, then her face turned to confusion. "You have no fever anymore…" she stated and put her hand once more on Harry's forehead. 

"Is everything alright Madame?" McGonagall questioned at the peculiar behaviour. 

"Just that Potter seems warm when touched even though his temperature hasn't risen," Pomfrey explained and pulled back her hand and then walked back to her supplies, with a bit of hurry in her step. 

Harry frowned - this would make his life even more difficult. He didn't know anything and the questions kept piling up, with them his anxiety growing. "Well, I think I should let Pomfrey work in peace but I hope your situation gets better and I'll be informing your classmates you have awakened," she said with the familiar strict tone, yet there was warmth in it. 

"Thank you, professor," Harry said with a slight smile. 

"Now, if you'll excuse me," she stated and walked away from the infirmary. Then Pomfrey came back with a plate of food, putting it on the desk next to Harry. 

"Now eat up young man, it's essential to your recovery," she said firmly, not giving Harry any room for arguments. 

Harry took the food to his lap and started eating - now that he was thinking about it he was really hungry. But he hadn't really eaten solid food for the past few days, there was no shock to his hunger. "So… Do you think this will pass?" Harry asked, McGonagall had mentioned it should get better.

"Your body is adjusting to the new changes - after it has settled, who knows what will come out. I spoke to the headmaster and he agreed with me that from now on you should have all of your meals here. Even if you return to your classes… Your well being could plummet quite quickly if you would run into the headmaster or… it seems your brother," she explained.

"I was meaning to ask about that… why can't Tom see me? He doesn't really have that much magic, it shouldn't affect me…and before.." Harry explained and his focused was drawn to his hand, remembering the feeling of holding his brother's hand.

That warmth, it would be odd if it was dangerous to him now. No, it was impossible. Tom would never do anything horrible to him - this had to be a mistake. 

Pomfrey stared at him with concern, "when he was informed about your condition, he came here as quickly as he could. Then when he saw you unconscious on the bed he approached you instantly and reached out. At that moment his magic reacted with yours and… his magic began to be drained by you aggressively."

Pomfrey sighed, "we needed to remove him from the room immediately, as it posed a danger to both you and him."

"So… I can't be around him," Harry said with a sigh. 

"Not until we figure out the problem. It could be only because you have lived together for so long, your magic could be familiar to his, causing the violent reaction," Pomfrey explained with a reassuring smile. 

Harry smiled faintly back at her, "I see…"

"If that is the case, then when your body stabilizes - you can be around your brother once more," she added. 

"Now get to eating! No use sulking about the future," she said with a slight pat on Harry's arm and walled back to her desk to presume her work.

Harry took a deep breath and started eating slowly. It seems all around him is magic, that which he had never noticed before. Even McGonagall had her own tones and way the magic moved - they all had living and breathing magic of their own. 

Even him, but when he looked at his arm, there was nothing. Maybe he couldn't see his own magic or there was something other than that with his new ability. 

A sigh left his mouth as he finished eating. Then as he put the plate on the table he took the envelope which was from Tom. With a bit of hesitation he held it in his hands, his eyes not leaving it. Why would being around Tom make such a bad reaction…? Could it be his brother was the reason for his current condition and was this letter filled with an explanation?

Harry shook his head - he should never doubt him. Yet, the feeling of unrest kept his mood down. It wasn't long when Tom had pushed him away and told Harry to not talk to him. Maybe this all was from the same reason… it wouldn't be a wild guess. 

If he was hanging around Malfoy, who knew what kind of things he was interested in now. Harry had even missed the fact that Tom was close to the twins. Then with resolve to find out the mystery he opened the envelope and pulled out the paper within. 

His eyes widened at the letters, 

_ I took Hydrus from your dorm room. Explaining the situation to Snape and getting his approval to visit the dorm was simple - do not worry about the snake.  _

_ I'll figure out a way to communicate, don't fret. _

And that was it, there was nothing else added. What made Harry smile was the last passage, Tom would be talking to him once again, such a relief.

Had he failed at some point as an older brother? Not knowing what his brother was up to anymore at all - everything that was around Tom, became a mystery. The twins, Malfoy, not even talking about the twins. Harry knew his brother was smart beyond normal kids his age - so Harry had always felt a bit dumb around Tom. 

Now, it seemed as if Tom had left him behind. Harry always felt he knew what Tom was up to, maybe it was because Tom was always there by his side before Harry entered Hogwarts but with that one year in between, too many things had changed. 

He just simply wished to be as close to Tom as he had been - even though that had felt hollow as well. The memories he had seen and  _ felt _ , he had never felt such raw emotion and need. Still he knew those emotions were his. 

The building he had seen and all of the people screaming, it was chilling and horrible - at least that was what his common sense was telling him. There never came the emotions of regret, fear or terror. The scene just kept playing in his head, again and again, until he realized it was comforting.

As if he was held by his mom when he was crying - it was similar, yet different. He wasn't sad in the memory, no he felt empathy towards someone else. He was suffering instead of the other person, because it felt they couldn't. 

Was there someone like that around him? Someone he felt so drawn to emotionally he could watch something like that and weep for them? Harry amused himself with the idea that they had been someone who had escaped the blaze, but something deep inside him screamed at him at that idea. 

It spun his guts in disgust - that he could even consider something like that.

It scared him - did he want to remember?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the lovely comments <3 The formatting might be a bit different now, as I realised that wow, it hasn't been good at all. Also all the cursive and bold had disappeared - woops on that. From now on I'll make sure to check those when posting haha


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit longer chapter this time, as I won't have time to write in a while as the holidays are approaching. Hope y'all enjoy it though :)

A few more weeks passed, Harry's time was mainly spent recovering in the infirmary. After one week Pomfrey allowed him to leave the infirmary for light exercise, just some walking through the hallways with an escort. Usually this escort was Ron or Hermione, some days it was Neville. 

He really was happy to meet all of his friends, but usually it was only two at a time and only when Madame Pomfrey allowed it. At the end of the second week it seemed he was able to be around at least two people and even three for a few hours without problems. It made Harry hopeful for the future.

Other than being around his friends, he was working on the school work, which did take most of his time. His body started feeling alright after a few days, so his days were spent studying and making the due essays. Surprisingly it all left him with extra time to read through the school books in advance. 

One thing that made him surprised was that he was getting along with Neville whenever he visited. Like Harry, Neville had been very lonely during the first year, but now thanks to their first project of the year - they had bonded. 

Then after two weeks on the monday Harry was just preparing to get himself out of bed and put on his day clothes to go for a walk when McGonagall walked in. "Mister Potter, I have gotten permission from Madame Pomfrey to let you back into classes. Only for one day and you need to be out of the room if you feel weak," she explained. 

"I still can't go to the common rooms?" Harry asked, happy to be allowed back to the lessons but still, he was restricted. 

McGonagall shook her head, "no, you can't and there is an additional rule you need to obey." Then when she finished the explanation she pulled out two leather gloves from her pocket. "You are required to wear these from now on," she said and gave them to Harry who took them in confusion. 

"Gloves? But why…" he asked 

"During the tests Madame Pomfrey conducted on you, she found out that whenever you touch someone else's skin - you start sapping their magic away. The rate of which goes up and down - before you can control it we cannot admit you to be around the other students without precautions," McGonagall finished her explanation. 

Harry looked down on the gloves and then pulled them on - the gloves were snug, but not too bad. Just something to get used to, "professor, do you think I can learn to control it?"

She then nodded, "that is what I and the Headmaster believe. You are a young man with a lot of potential, just keep working towards your goals." The warm smile that followed her sentence was what reassured Harry. 

In the end - this was just another thing that seperated Harry from others. "I will add one more thing… the headmaster wishes you do not share your peculiar abilities to a lot of people," she added, her tone now stricter.

"He thinks the Dark Lord will hear about my current weakness?" Harry asked and when the professor nodded he sighed.

It had been so many years after the Dark Lord had resurfaced, but the man hadn't done anything to try and kill Harry. Dumbledore had told him to stay vigilant, as the Dark Lord could be gathering his forces for the perfect moment. "My advice is not to think about the Dark Lord too much, you are still a child. Live your life like one."

Harry nodded and then got up from the bed, "I should prepare for class then, today is monday so…" then as he couldn't remember what class was first McGonagall aided him.

"It is Transfiguration, I shall meet you there Mister Potter," McGonagall informed and then walked out of the room to give Harry a bit more privacy. 

Now with the gloves in hand he started putting on day clothes and when he was done he returned to the bed to gather his books. Just as he was thinking how long it was until breakfast a house elf appeared before him with a plate of food, "your breakfast, sir."

Harry took the plate and before he could thank the house elf, they had already pop'd away. With a slight 'ah', Harry turned back to his plate of food and started eating - he was excited to get back to classes. Even if all those weeks he had listened to Ron complain how he hoped he could be laying in bed all day like Harry. 

It was quite sad he couldn't touch people anymore, but if it was like his other problems - it would pass. Waiting… more waiting. Right now he was waiting for too many things to just happen or come to him, without him being able to affect anything. 

A true standstill - he didn't know how to affect anything, no one knew where to Dark Lord was and all Harry ever knew he wanted to have him dead. Still, the man had never been even close to Harry - to him it felt like the adults were just taking the facts out of proportion. But the likely outcome was that there was something going on, but no one was telling him.

Dumbledore could know why this was happening to him - but just didn't think it was important to fill him in. Were his parents informed about his condition even? They would've been there for him, if they knew. His father would be disappointed that he had lost the cloak, as he had asked Pomfrey about it the day he had woken up and she informed him that there was no cloak like that when Harry was found.

Someone else had taken his cloak and he needed it back before the end of the year without fail. That was something he could focus on for now, for distraction from the swelling stress. Then as his heartbeat was starting to race up once more Pomfrey came out of her office, greeting Harry for the morning. 

"Morning check up, I know you are cleared for classes but if I find anything off - you are staying here," she ordered and then took out the gear she had everyday for the same thing, Harry was used to it. 

She checked his pulse, blood pressure and then his levels of magic with a specialized tool. All seemed normal except for the blood pressure, "are you worried about returning to your classes?" 

"No, actually, I feel like that is the least of my worries," Harry said with a forced smile and a slight laughter. 

Pomfrey smiled at him back - Harry saw the pity in it. He didn’t enjoy being pitied just because of how his life has turned out, it was painful. ‘’Be patient, this will pass,’’ the nurse said softly and then got up from her chair. ‘’Now, time for class young man. I’ll see you back here afterwards,’’ she added.

Harry nodded and picked up his books before walking a few steps before looking back towards Pomfrey, ‘’thanks for allowing me out.’’ He said gave a slight bow then walked out from the door - knowing how strict the nurse was, it was probably difficult to convince herself to let a patient to be freed from care prematurely. Well, his case was quite unique. 

When he traversed the hallways towards the classroom he spotted Hermione walking down the hallways as well. ‘’Hermione! Good morning,’’ Harry called out and ran to her. Even if he had seen her magic for a week now, it still managed to surprise him how warm it was. But whenever Hermione got into an argument her magic changed with the heat that she brings to the discussion. 

Hermione then turned around to see Harry, surprise cloaking her face, ‘’should you be wandering all by yourself?!’’ she screeched, but then noticed the books Harry was carrying with him. ‘’Wait, can you attend classes again?’’ 

Harry nodded fervently, ‘’yup! But only one per day, today is transfiguration.’’

‘’That’s great - I can finally have a decent partner for potions again,’’ Hermione breathed out in relief and Harry just laughed. Worst case scenario, she had had to work with Neville - who was deadly scared of Snape, which lead to him screwing up most of his potions. 

Harry could imagine Hermione just telling Neville to let her do all the work. She didn’t mean it in a bad way, but it was a struggle sometimes with Neville, especially when Snape was involved. For Harry, he had known the professor for so long, he didn’t mind him - but there were times he noticed the man ask him slightly easier questions than to anyone else. Yet, Harry could swear the man glared at him angrily sometimes. 

It was sending weird messages - but halfway through the first year he had decided to not mind it and just put it up to the man just being peculiar. ‘’We have a double potions lesson tomorrow right? I’ll make sure to have that as my lesson then, just hope today goes alright,’’ Harry said with glee. 

‘’You think you are going to be alright?’’ Hermione asked, her voice coated with worry. 

Harry thought on it, some days on the walks when he was around too many people, his breathing would get heavier and he would feel weaker, but if he got a moment of rest it would be fine. This has only occurred on the first of his walks - so, it should be fine now. "Well, there is only one way to find out!" Harry said with confidence and then noticed they were already in the classroom. 

Not surprisingly no one else was there yet, as the two of them were early. He placed the books on the desk he walked to and waited till Hermione set her own on her side. During that moment he was glad they had decided to sit in the front - the idea was Hermione's. Right now it allowed him to not be in the middle of the pack of students.

‘’Wait, why do you have gloves on?’’ Hermione then noticed the gloves Harry was wearing. Then as if to show the thing she was meaning Harry lifted up his hand and adjusted the glove a bit with his other hand. 

Harry just laughed a bit, "trying out a new style!" it was a sorry try for an excuse and Hermione did notice something was off. 

‘’It looks alright,’’ Hermione said with a weak smile, but Harry was happy she didn’t try to pry further. Maybe she was just showing her concern for keeping her concerns to herself for now. Then as they were about to continue the discussion, Harry felt a spike of magic from behind him which made him turn around. 

Instantly he recognized that it was Draco who had entered the room. Harry was wondering why he had felt him enter so distinctively. He was about to turn back to face the front but then he realized Malfoy was looking at him as well. Harry then remembered their exchanged a few weeks back and he turned back around. 

Hermione then turned to look at what Harry was doing and realized the blonde as well, ‘’what is Malfoy doing here.. We don’t have this class with Slytherin's…’’ she wondered. Harry just hit his forehead on his desk - that day wasn’t a day he wanted to deal with Malfoy. 

‘’Potter,’’ he heard Malfoy’s voice in front his him. Harry then lifted his head slightly to see the blonde in front of him. ‘’The bare minimum of social etiquette passes you doesn’t it,’’ Draco sighed. 

Harry then straightened himself and eyed over Draco - even if the guy was a douche his magic was really beautiful. Simplistic, yet elegant. But there was one part that was off, within the books Draco was carrying came another magical source. Within his books was one with black leather casing. ‘’Why are you here Malfoy,’’ Hermione asked, as Harry was distracted by the weird book Draco was holding. 

‘’Not that it is any of your business, but I have something I need to deliver to Potter. From Shafiq,’’ he explained, not even sparing a stare longer than a second towards Hermione. 

Then Harry’s attention was snapped away from the book and to the conversation. ‘’From Tom?’’ he piped up, he hadn’t heard from Tom all those weeks and he had told him he would find a way for them to talk. Maybe this could be it?

With a court nod, Draco pulled the odd book from his lap and placed it on the desk in front of Harry. ‘’The instructions was to tell you to open it at eight, not sooner or later. Do not open it before then and don’t let anyone else touch it,’’ he explained, sparing a quick look towards Granger at the last part. 

‘’I understand, if it’s Tom, there is a reason for it. You might be a prick Malfoy, but thank you for delivering this,’’ Harry said with a hint of mocking. He ran his gloved hand on the book, it was humming with magic and Harry knew it was Toms. 

Because he could feel himself pulling the magic from it, yet it was obstructed by something. Which in turn made the magic form a come around the book, it was really an interesting piece of sorcery. ‘’Whatever Potter, just be happy Shafiq cares about you. Yet... Nevermind, I have my own class to attend to,’’ Malfoy said but it seemed he realised something midway through and then walked away without waiting for a response. 

‘’Well, that was odd,’’ Hermione said and then looked at the book. ‘’It seems like it’s old… Oh! It even has some initials carved into it,’’ she notice and reached out for the book but Harry batted her hand away. 

‘’Tom told me not to let anyone else touch it, so I won’t,’’ he said sharply, pulling the book closer to his body. He picked it up and looked at it, indeed it did have initial carved into it. ‘’TMR, I wonder what that means,’’ Hermioned wondered. 

Harry hmm’d and just put it back down - he would find out in the evening, so he should be patient for now. Before Hermione could continue asking about the book, the other students started rolling into the class, including Ron who instantly approached Harry. 

Of course the Weasley noticed the gloves instantly and asked about them, but Harry just distracted him with another topic. This time it was that Malfoy had come there to look for Harry, which made Ron start a long rant about the Slytherin and how much a douche he was. This lasted until McGonagall came to the room and started the class. 

The class was thankfully uneventful, but at the end of it Harry did notice himself to be very exhausted and thanked Pomfrey for only allowing him one class per day. Anymore of being around other wizards would’ve drained him completely. The slight effects were already dropping in on him, the shaking and nausea. When they were dismissed he then walked straight to the infirmary and spent the rest of his day resting in day and reading. 

A bit of it was spent ensuring Madame Pomfrey that he was well enough to go to classes the next day, he couldn’t let Hermione down after all. It was a relief when after a few hours of rest - she deemed him recovered once again. That gave them a good idea how fast Harry was recovering right now, but still he couldn’t go to a new class that day. It would slow down his overall recovery too much. 

Then as the hours passed, Harry's mind was turned back to the book Draco had handed to him. It was almost eight, just ten minutes anymore and he can open it. He picked it up and started examining the magic once more - actually he had done that a lot that day. Even now Tom’s magic seemed to be calming him, even if his own magic was trying to get it inside him. 

After his initial examination, he had realised that there wasn’t an invisible dome keeping the magic from being drawn out, instead it was a ward. The ward though, it wasn’t Tom’s magic. Harry couldn’t recognize it, it probably was someone he hadn’t met before. This did bring Harry to question how much time had Tom used to construct the book. 

It made him warm in his chest to think Tom had spent so much time making sure it was working. The feeling didn’t last long though as he remembered their fight and how Tom had pushed him away, was his condition the only reason Tom was now talking to him again? 

The clock kept ticking and finally the time came and Harry put his hand to the cover and prepared to open the book. With slight hesitation he opened the book and found it to be blank - then he flipped through a few pages and they were blank as well. With confusion he shut the book once again and then opened it once more, if he had done something wrong. 

This time, there were words on the first page. 

_ Hello Harry, this book should help us two talk to each other. If you opened the book when I told you, if you write in this book now, I will see them in my copy. -Tom _

When Harry had read the words, he fumbled to his desk and picked up a quill and ink. Thankfully Pomfrey had set the desk up there, just for him. With hurry he wrote a response. 

_ Your copy? Wait how does this work even, words appearing like this. -H _

He didn’t think he should sign it fully, as they would know who wrote what from just memory. Then as he flipped through the pages once more to find if there was something he noticed he couldn’t reach the last page. The pages must be enchanted. He returned to the first page where Tom’s response was forming. 

_ I enchanted these two times to be completely similar, your book is a copy of mine. Also whatever you write in your copy, will appear in mine. This way we can have a conversation without being in the same room. Also due to your unique reaction to my magic, I ensured it would not break while under your care. To make these adjustments took me a while.  _

Even if Tom wasn’t saying it, he was apologetic about the delay. No, he wasn’t sorry, he just wanted it to be perfect when finished. Even if it had taken longer than initially expected. 

_ I see. Tom, why are you talking to me now? _

There, he had asked it. He stared at the words he had written for a while and the seconds seemed to take so long. As he was just starting to blame himself for being so idiotic to even ask it and his anxiety was peaking, the response started forming in the page. 

_ I am in a dangerous position and I can’t afford to be seen with you right now Harry. I cannot answer all of your questions, but know I would never want to be apart from you like this. You are mine and I don’t want others to use that against me… and you. Keep the necklace on Harry, no matter what. _

Harry read the sentences many times, realizing it really didn’t answer any of his questions. It was all just the least amount of information Tom could give him. There was frustration that stemmed from Harry’s mind at the response, but he needed to understand Tom. He was protecting him and himself. 

_ Tom… that doesn’t answer much, but thank you for telling me something at least.  _

He stared at the page, trying to think of words to say - finding himself not finding anything. Tom would probably not tell him anything more than he had decided beforehand to give Harry. It was occurring thing that Harry just had gotten used to. Before he could find anything to say to Tom, though he had written him back already. 

_ I haven’t heard anything about your illness, because I can’t meet with anyone or see you. In the end I just want to hear from you, can you explain it to me?  _

Harry smiled, it was nice to have Tom thinking of him so much. 

_ The first time it happened I started seeing these speckles of magic and then I lost consciousness, since then I have been seeing magic all around me. It’s something I cannot explain with words really, it’s alive and beautiful. There are so many different kinds of things I notice now and the world seems so much alive and colorful! I have gotten somewhat used to it now, I feel like if I was to lose this now… I don’t think I would want to. It’s something I cannot forget and because of it…  _

Harry remembered the memories he had unearthed from his mind. He wanted to tell Tom, but should he burden Tom even more? If he was to be a better older brother, he shouldn’t let Tom bear the worry for his problems. With time, he would figure it out himself. 

_ ...whenever I touch someone I absorb their magic. For now it is not very powerful but I still need to wear gloves because of it - McGonagall even told me it’s something I can’t tell anyone… But I feel like you should know at least Tom since you are my brother. Also your magic seems to be the only one I absorb without touch. Haha - I wonder why that is. _

He finished writing and realized he had written quite a paragraph. In the end it had awoken the doubts towards Tom he had once more, but he shouldn’t destroy the trust between that with too much questioning. After all Tom had taken Hydrus under his wing for Harry - he was still making the sacrifices for Harry. 

_ Interesting. The gift to sense and see ability like that has been said to be exclusive to the magic sensitive, maybe you already had the gift in you but it was being suppressed. Had something stressful or sudden happened before you started noticing the magic around you? _

Harry laughed a bit, it was like Tom to get straight to the point. This time though, it was something Harry desired to keep to himself. 

_ No, nothing like that. _

It wasn’t good to lie to his brother, but Tom wouldn’t even know about it - what was the harm. Still, it was scary how close Tom’s guess was. When Harry had been following George and Fred he was starting to feel the memories starting to creep in his mind. In that moment he had felt so much anxiety and chest pain he had never before and after the first blink of the memories it seemed to open a latch to something he couldn’t stop. 

_ I see, well tell me about your day then. _

Tom changed the subject and Harry was slightly glad for it. Then they started exchanging messages until Pomfrey caught Harry still being awake and forced him back to the bed and to sleep. Yelling to him that tomorrow he would have time to continue writing, a blank page would be blank the next day. 

This statement brought confusion to Harry as the page was filled with text from Tom and him, but to Pomfrey it was blank? Probably something Tom got into the book, but didn’t mention to Harry. 

As he was laying down in bed he sighed and closed his eyes, he could now talk to Tom whenever he had the time. This thought at least calmed him down. 

*****

Tom tapped his desk and stared at the book in front of him - he knew he had made a miscalculation. When he had heard about Harry’s condition the first time, he knew this was all his cause. The necklace had stopped sending Harry magic that day an hour before he heard about Harry being in the infirmary. 

And afterwards, the necklace didn’t send anything through anymore. To him, feeding Harry with his magic this long shouldn’t have affected Harry other than the direction his own magic was growing into, but it seemed that there was something special within Harry that made this all happen. Feeding Harry his magic could’ve put an end to the deal for sometime and now, Harry’s body was going through shock as it was experiencing everything he should’ve gone through during the years. 

Was it some ability Harry was born with? How it affected the ritual was going to be something Tom was unable to imagine. All he could do now was wait for Harry’s condition to get better and research, there could be similar cases in the past. The magic sensitive were not very much researched, which made finding any type of information difficult. 

There was no guilt he was feeling - just the fact he had miscalculated his moves. The good thing to come out of it was that Dumbledore wouldn’t be allowed near Harry in a long time, which allowed Tom to discuss things with Harry he couldn’t before. All he needed to ensure was to finish the ritual before the end of the semester. Ideally the instant Harry was feeling better - he would make sure to execute the ritual. 

Whenever the ritual was complete - Harry would realize all he had done to get to that point. Dumbledore already had his suspicions, him going through Harry’s had and finding out Tom was already the Slytherin King would only bring all those suspicions to be more powerful. Being King at that moment was troublesome, Flint would do anything to bring Tom down at that point and he had only a bit over a month before the next time Flint could call a vote. 

If this went smoothly - he wouldn’t need to worry. 

Just that, the youngest Weasley had brought him a lot of trouble. He had managed to get Astoria to try and befriend Ginny, but their opinion was still bad of her and so whenever Ginny approached Tom - he did his best to tolerate the girl and entertain her with a conversation. This in turn did bring the other Slytherin's to see her in a better light, but it wasn’t enough. She was still foolish and naive. 

Not as bad as her one year older brother - not even close. It was all just waiting and building - he was gaining the respect of the older years, just showing them his knowledge and ability. There were those who accused him of cheating - somehow, just jealous. 

He sighed, it was all just waiting for the perfect moment. All he hoped at that moment was that the obliviation charm inside Harry’s mind wasn’t affected by his condition, if it were to break without Tom’s knowledge… now that would be an issue. It was a lingering feeling he had at the back of his head, but it should be fine. After all, Harry would’ve told him about it. 

It wasn’t something the boy could keep silent about. 

Straightening his back and stretching out his hands, he realized it was getting quite late. He should at least get a few hours of sleep. Then Hydrus crawled up to his desk - the snake was normally a good few meters long now and quite thick. Only about half of its maximum length. ‘’ _ Tom, you should sleep. I think that is what my master would wish for, _ ’’ the snake talked, it was really similar to Harry. Maybe it was because it had always been very attached to him. 

‘’ _ I shall rest whenever I have finished my work _ ,’’ Tom hissed back, caressing the snakes head lightly. It was really a beautiful creature, colorful but sleek. It was good to have some company with the long nights he needed to work through. 

‘’ _ You said the same when you were working on your books. My master wouldn’t be pleased, even if you are doing it for him _ ,’’ Hydrus hissed back, being a bit coy. 

Tom just sharply let out some air, his frustration releasing with it. The snake had a tongue on him, but it did make him miss Nagini. Whenever he would break his followers free from Azkaban he would retrieve his companion and have the escapees take care of her whenever he was absent. ‘’ _ I made no promises, _ ’’ Tom answered and returned to his work. It seemed letting Hydrus move without the shrinking charm made them talkative, he should keep that in mind for the future. 

*****

Then weeks passed and finally it was Halloween, the classes for the day were done and Harry was wondering if he could attend the feast. It would be a shame if he was to miss it, after all - it was one of the highlights of the year. Halloween was quite magical to him personally, it was always a day of wonder and discovery. 

Even if he wasn’t able to attend many classes per week, it was starting to improve. His stamina was getting better and he rarely felt weak anymore - only when he was in a crowd for a long time he felt the effects. All of his classmates had somehow accepted his new look with his gloves, thankfully no one dared to question him a lot - as they didn’t want to upset him more than necessary. Harry was after all someone who was sick and weak to them, it annoyed him when he saw the stares of pity. It was difficult to ignore, but he couldn’t get rid of it. 

Thankfully it seemed Hermione or Ron didn’t treat him any differently. Actually it seemed Ron was very excited to hear Harry could somehow see the magic around them, but he obviously didn’t get how Harry was explaining it. To Harry it was something simple and how Ron saw it was something bigger and more extreme. Well, he did try his best to answer Ron when he barraged Harry with his repetitive questions. 

Mostly on just how everyone’s magic seemed and if he ever saw something odd around them. Usually the answer to the latter was no - but there were some parts of Hogwarts that had piqued Harry’s interest. It seemed most of the statues were enchanted and some were not, Harry hadn’t really figured out why that was, but according to Fred and George one of them was an entrance to a secret passage. 

It made the already giant castle feel even more huge, there were so many mysteries Harry didn’t know yet. 

Another good thing that had happened, he had been allowed to return to the dorms. Of course, he couldn’t spend time in the common room and most times had to find a secluded spot to head to, but as his health had improved so had his privileges. Whenever he got weaker he spent the night in the infirmary, as it was usually empty. Some days there were students who had injured themselves during classes, but anyone rarely spent the night. 

As he was putting his stuff together next to his bed and was searching for the book Tom gave him, Ron came and sat on his bed. Harry cocked his eyebrows a bit, he knew the feast was supposed to begin in a half an hour. Ron should be heading there that moment already, ‘’we are about to head to the feast, you wanna join?’’

Harry laughed a bit, ‘’it’s the great hall - of course I am not coming. Even if I have improved, the great hall gives me shivers a bit.’’ Then he smiled when he recognized the familiar black cover of the book, he opened it and noticed Tom had already written something. 

_ I hope you are enjoying the Samhain, have you noticed the increase in magic? With your newfound gift it should be apparent… _

Harry read through the sentence with a warm smile - the anger he had towards Tom had dulled during the weeks he had spent writing in the diary and having a conversation with him again. Also, he was able to get frequent updates on Hydrus like this, they had discussed Harry taking back Hydrus but at that moment Tom didn’t know how to deliver the snake back to Harry. They had also agreed that because Tom had his own room, it was good for Hydrus as he got to stretch more often. 

‘’Again, with that book? I still don’t get why you won't explain what is so special about it,’’ Ron groaned, it wasn’t the first time he was complaining about it, so it didn’t faze Harry whatsoever. ‘’That isn’t why I was here… but I got a surprise waiting downstairs! You just have to put the book down and follow me!’’

Harry looked Ron in confusion, but took his quill quickly and dipped it in ink. ‘’I need to finish this first, just wait,’’ Harry said simply and started writing his reply. Ron in turn seemed disappointed but just threw himself back first on the bed and waited. 

_ I have noticed the magic in the air is more dense than normal… Is it because it’s halloween? Or as you say - Samhain. I need to go though, Ron wants me in the common room. He says there is a surprise for me. I’ll answer once I come back once more. _

Then he waited for the ink to dry and shut the book with a huff of air. He had been more tired that day, maybe it was really because of the magic in the air like Tom had pointed out. ‘’Oh, are you ready now?’’ Ron said when he noticed Harry finishing with his task. 

Harry nodded and got up from the bed, ‘’yup, I hope this isn’t anything dumb you set up. I am not going to play against you in wizard chess again Ron… you get so mad when I win.’’ Was the complain he gave the redhead, but in turn Ron jumped up from the bed as well and shook his head. 

‘’No, nothing like that. I swear mate, you are going to love this!’’ Ron said with a wide grin on his face. Then he took Harry’s wrist and started pulling him out of the room and downstairs. As they descended down the stairs, Harry pulled his hand back to regain his balance - it was really hard to move down the steps when he was being pulled down. 

Then as he had free’d his hands from Ron’s clutches he noticed the common room was decorated very festive and then there in the middle of the room was a large table with six seats around it. Around the table was Hermione, Neville, Fred and George, all waiting for Harry and Ron to join them. 

‘’We organised a smaller feast just for us!’’ Ron said with a smile. ‘’Because you couldn’t otherwise join us, we thought of this. Happy Halloween mate!’’ as he finished his sentence he smacked Harry in his back and pushed him forwards and towards everyone else. 

Hermione then huffed air in annoyance, ‘’me and Neville talked with the kitchen elves and got them to set this up! You didn’t do anything Ron!’’

Ron then frowned, ‘’oi, I put some of the decorations up…’’

‘’You didn’t even accompany us to ask McGonagall for permission for this,’’ Hermione countered and got Ron to walk to his seat in silence and sit down - no more counters to be heard. She then smiled in victory. 

Fred and George then snickered at their brothers defeat, ‘’Ronny is scared of McGonagall.’’ 

‘’Meow - oh, does that scare you?’’ both of them shot and made Ron just sulk even more than before. Then as they heard Harry laugh they all turned to look at him once again. Harry quickly stopped laughing as everyone turned to look at him. 

‘’Thank you, really. This is wonderful,’’ he said with a soft smile, then he walked to the table and sat down as well. As he did this the food started appearing on the table, it was just like being in the great hall, except for the missing enchanted ceiling. All of them seemed quite shocked at the sudden appearance of the food except for Ron who straight out started eating. 

Following his lead the others starting taking out food to their plates. ‘’Harry you really shouldn’t use gloves at the dinner table,’’ Hermione said, looking at Harry’s gloves with slight disdain. Harry kept an ‘ah’ sound following that, he usually did take the gloves off when he was eating in the infirmary, but there was no one else there to think about. 

Harry then laughed a bit, ‘’can’t overlook my bad manners for once?’’ he suggested. Still Hermione seemed to be frowning and not approving of the suggestion. 

Then Fred chided in, ‘’it’s like Hagrid when he is riding his motorcycle, wearing leather gloves like that. Even he takes those off though.’’ Harry wanted to sink in his seat, but as everyone else seemed to agree with Hermione and Fred, he caved in. 

‘’Fine, I’ll take them off,’’ he said in defeat and he could’ve sworn the twins seemed to get a twinkle in their eyes. As Harry took his gloves off and put then in a neat fold on the table the twins groaned. 

‘’I thought he was hiding some weird infection under there!’’ George said, his face full of disappointment. Fred nodded alongside his brother, ‘’your hands are all normal! You weren’t trying to hide anything?!’’

If he had to say anything - Harry was hitting blank. In his mind he thought everyone was just fine with him wearing the gloves all that time and now looking around everyone of them were just disappointed. Even Hermione seemed a bit let down, ‘’I’m sorry?’’ he managed to say. Then the only one to be different from the group mentality was Neville. 

‘’I just think all of us were just wondering why you actually wore the gloves. You just started wearing them after getting out of the infirmary…’’ he said, quite weakly actually. He hadn’t been saying much now that Harry thought about it, but that wasn’t anything new with Neville.

Ron then seemed to agree, but his mouth was full with food so it came out as a weird mesh of sounds. Afterwards everyone was just in silence trying to decipher what he had said as Ron swallowed his food, ‘’what?’’ 

‘’Don’t talk with food in your mouth! Were the two of you ever educated on not being a slob!?’’ Hermione yelled, she was seeming ready to start smacking Ron and Harry with books. Then again she wouldn’t, because she would be too worried the book would get damaged. 

Ron furrowed his brows and put down his fork, ‘’whatever, don’t be such a prude.’’ He said as waving his hand in front of his face, just pushing off the notes Hermione was giving him. ‘’I was just saying that Harry mate you have been more mental about the gloves than Hermione is about homework and Neville is about his plants,’’ he explained his earlier point once more. ‘’We have been coming up with our theories for a while now,’’ he added with a snicker. 

Harry looked through all of them once again, shocked this was actually something that was going on when he wasn’t around. ‘’I couldn’t have been that bad - also what theories? About my gloves?’’ he asked.

‘’Maybe your hands were super hairy all of a sudden,’’ Ron suggested. 

Hermione then chided in, ‘’the hair one was idiotic Ron and we all agreed that. My idea was that maybe you were contracted with a virus that was activated when coming in contact with anything else than leather and causing rashes.’’

Seeming prideful Hermione gloated in her victory. To Harry it seemed as if she had researched the topic before even trying to throw her hat in the frey. ‘’George and I had so many ideas!’’ Fred added enthusiastically.

‘’Your fingers had turned to snakes!’’ George said.

Fred almost jumped up from his seat, ‘’oh! oH! Harry’s hands when coming in contact with anything would turn it into glue!’’ They proceeded then to laugh at themselves as the others joined in, with Harry only staying with his shocked look.

Listening to the others laugh and continue to top on with the suggestion Harry realized that Neville was staying quiet, ‘’did you have any ideas of your own Neville?’’ he asked him. He knew it was hard for Neville to join a busy conversation, so Harry tried to include him. Usually Neville had some weird ideas. 

‘’Hm..’’ Neville started and at this point everyone’s attention was at him. ‘’Seeing how he didn’t have any problems when he was in the infirmary… maybe it was something that activated on contact with other people? Maybe a tumor that shot toxic spores,’’ he ended his suggestion and everyone kept quiet for a while and then laughed a bit.

‘’A toxic tumor… Blimey I wouldn’t want to get near that,’’ Ron said with a slight chill travelling through his spine. 

Neville seemed down all of a sudden because of that response, ‘’oh, I didn’t mean to go too far.’’

‘’Neville, it was great. It was better than glue hands at least,’’ Harry said with a laugh, finally reaching for some food. Then as he was reaching for the ladle for the brown sauce his hand got taken by George. 

At the rashness of the action he didn’t manage to pull his hand off, ‘’you are saying it’s dumb but think about it! If I touched you - my skin would be turning to glue and I would be stuck to you Harry!’’ 

Fred snickered, ‘’yeah, would you like to be glued to things forever Harry? With toxic spores you could at least avoid the people you are harming, but with glue?’’ Fred said, his tone very exaggerated. ‘’No! You would have to face your shame everyday until you got separated!’’ 

‘’The glue should be very effective and quick drying for it to work like that,’’ Hermione corrected the two, ruining their fun a bit but it didn’t seem to slow them down. 

At this point Harry started to notice his hand was starting to burn up where George was touching him, quickly he tried to push himself off the grasp - thankfully, he succeeded. ‘’Harry, you are running quite hot there,’’ George said, pulling his hand to himself and touching his hand. Weirdly it was actually cold and not warm as he expected. 

Harry laughed a bit nervously. ‘’My gloves are really warm to wear all the time… Can’t look good without pain,’’ he said the first thing that came to his mind. It was a ridiculous suggestion, but he really hoped it went by them all without question. Then in an attempt to change the conversation he thought of something to distract everyone. 

‘’Hermione, how do you usually spend Halloween? You are the only one not from a wizard family after all,’’ he asked, turning to look at Hermione who was sitting to his left. 

Hermione stayed quiet for a moment, eyeing everyone else to get input on should they just ignore Harry’s odd behavior, but coming up blank she sighed. ‘’It’s quite different from what is at Hogwarts,’’ she started, letting the odd behavior pass for now. ‘’Children usually dress up and go trick or treating through their neighborhoods.’’ 

‘’Oh, I heard our dad mention that! He told us you curse people who do not give you gifts!’’ Fred piped up, happy he knew something Hermione was explaining. 

Hermione shook her head, ‘’no, no. You go knocking through houses and say ‘trick or treat’ then whose house it is they give you candy. That’s all, some people do egg houses if no candy is given, but I think that is just bad manners.’’

‘’Still wicked,’’ George said and Fred agreed. 

‘’So what did you dress up?’’ Harry asked, quite interested in the tradition now. It was so much different from what they had gotten used to - as usual Halloween only had some special food involved. His mother had explained to him about the muggle traditions though, but James never wanted Harry to start actually acting on them. 

Hermione nodded, ‘’yeah, I dressed up as a dentist once - because I looked up to parents. Also one time I dressed up as a witch.. Who knew that would come true.’’ 

All of them smiled and laughed a bit at that end comment. ‘’Dentists work on teeth right?’’ Harry asked, trying to remember what his mother had taught him. Lily always made sure to teach Harry about muggle society, as it wasn’t good to be missing vital information. 

‘’Teeth? Why would you need to work your teeth?’’ Ron asked, confused of the weird profession. 

Hermione huffed up with pride, ‘’because Ronald, all that candy you eat causes damage on your teeth and dentists fix those problems! Of course… I don’t think wizards get cavities as easily as muggles. Actually, now that I think about it, my teeth have always been perfect.’’ 

Neville then piped up, ‘’my grandma explained that wizards aren’t affected by a lot of muggle diseases and problems. That is because our bodies are being reinforced by the magic coursing through us - making us more resilient.’’

‘’Huh, that’s actually quite interesting. I wonder why aren’t we taught that, like biology,’’ Hermione said. Harry was guessing she was thinking were there any books on the differences between wizards and muggles. It was something that no one was researching a lot, as the wizards were so disjointed from the muggles. 

Ron then groaned, ‘’it isn’t important anyways. We have our healers, they know what they are doing.’’ 

Harry laughed a bit, ‘’everything that doesn’t affect you doesn’t matter, huh Ron? I wonder how long that mentality will keep you going.’’ 

‘’Indeed, you should be more concerned with the things happening around you! At least when it comes to the wizard society, as the Muggles are advancing very quickly,’’ Hermione ranted, earning some frowns and mostly, she was ignored by Ron. 

Even if Ron was told all the ways to improve his life and make it farther in life, if it bothered him playing chess and fooling around - it would not be important to him. To Harry it was kind of hard to think of himself just ignoring everything happening around and just focus on being happy - there were too many things that interested him. Which was why he usually studied up on everything he could. It had started on him wanting to be smarter than Tom, but now it was more of him trying to find his passion. 

He knew it was somewhere inside him, but he kept reaching for it. It could be in his memories, that burning passion that makes him want to protect someone, even it if it means harming others. Maybe then he could be as happy as Ron? Headstrong on working towards a goal and not caring about anyone standing in his way? 

Yet, didn’t he already have that - defeating Voldemort. That was his life goal, it was already planned for him. It was the reason he had been basically alone for most of his life, cooped up in a house surrounded by protections. Thinking about that path just made him feel hollow and empty. 

‘’Harry!’’ Hermione yelled out while shaking Harry’s shoulder. 

Harry then woke up from his thoughts and looked at Hermione, ‘’what? Sorry I must’ve spaced out there.’’ 

‘’Your glass fell over half a minute ago and you didn’t react at all,’’ Ron said with a snicker. Then Harry looked down and saw the goblet turned on it’s side. He lifted it back up again and set it on the table. The goblet filled back up and the mess cleaned itself up. 

‘’I think I need some air… my head is quite woozy,’’ Harry said, trying to figure out what was wrong with him. Maybe he was just exhausted, it had been a long day after all. Then he got up and noticed the twins getting up as well. 

‘’We need to go as well, got a meeting planned up,’’ George said and got up, followed by Fred. Harry then opened his mouth to argue, but he knew there was nothing he could do about the twins leaving - after all, they were probably going to see Tom. 

Hermione pouted, ‘’half people down.. Harry you better come back after taking a walk!’’ 

Harry nodded, ‘’of course ‘mione, I’m probably just going to visit Pomfrey… she asked me to visit today. Initially I was planning to visit her after the feast, but this is fine as well.’’ He had already eaten enough to keep him full for the day, so it wasn’t horrible if he missed the end of the dinner. 

Then he turned to George and Fred, seeing if they were ready to go. ‘’We can accompany you there Harry, to make sure you ain’t gonna go fainting on us!’’ 

‘’I don’t mind the company, but is that alright? You aren’t in a hurry?’’ Harry asked, scared he was just getting in the way of the two. If they headed to their ‘meeting’ afterwards, Harry would still get enough time to stay alone and refocus his mind. 

‘’We know our way around the castle so a little detour like this won’t bother us,’’ Fred said with a smile and then with short goodbye’s to the rest of the group the three departed. As they walked they had a slight chat about how Harry was doing in his classes. Even if Harry wanted to ask them how Tom was doing - he shouldn’t. What the twins and Tom did with their work together, he didn’t have business in it. 

The fear of Tom pushing away once more lingered. It had made a wound that was just healing thanks to their communication once again. There were many things both of them were keeping from each other. Harry guessed that was how it was any siblings, right? 

‘’Hey, did you ever tell Ron or Ginny about you two and Tom?’’ Harry asked and instantly noticed he made the two a bit more serious. Their magic turned from the aloof kind to a more stable sort quickly after Harry’s question. 

‘’No, we have not,’’ Fred was the one to answer, it sounded almost forced. 

Harry frowned, he wanted to ask more - maybe he shouldn’t. ‘’Well, I guess that is up to you two. Oh, talking about Ginny I’ve noticed she has been having a lot of people around her whenever I see her!’’ Harry said, trying to change the subject. 

A slight sigh came out of Harry as the tension in the twins magic released. ‘’Yup! We were worried about her at first but it seems she really likes it in Slytherin,’’ George said with a devious grin. Even if they seemed to be amused by something - it really showed that they cared about their sister, even if they didn’t share everything. 

Maybe it was alright if Harry and Tom had their secrets - as long as they cared about each other despite it all. It gave him a bit more hope for the future. 

As they continued chatting it became time for them to depart as they arrived at the infirmary. Harry told the two good luck on their meeting and watched them disappear into the hallways. When the two left he got into the infirmary and did his regular checkup with Pomfrey. Everything was well, expect his pulse was higher than normal. 

It prompted Pomfrey to barrage him with a rant about how he should not be pushing himself too much and not get greedy. Thankfully, she didn’t force him to stay the night infirmary, he needed to get back to Hermione after the check up. After bidding farewell to the nurse, he left the room and headed towards the Gryffindor dorms once more. 

As he walked in silence, he really admired the silent castle. Even if sometimes some students passed by him, heading towards their dorms - the castle was calming and beautiful. In the past he had loved the stone walls and how big it was, but now when seeing the humming magic in the walls, it just brought the structure alive. It was centuries of magic in one place, truly something he never thought about. 

The history was so deep and parts of it unknown. As he paused to take a breath and look around to admire the magic he turned around and saw that something was different. There was a human shaped piece of magic trailing behind him and as if it had noticed Harry turning it stopped in its tracks. 

This wasn’t something, it was someone. Some student who was trailing after him, for a reason and they were invisible. Yet, how could they be invisible? No one was taught the magic in Hogwarts for it… which left Harry with one possibility. This someone was the one who had taken his cloak from him. With determination Harry took a step forward towards the hooded figure. 

‘’I know you are there,’’ he said, hoping whoever it was - was friendly and would just remove the cloak. Then as if they hadn’t heard what Harry had said the figure closed up on him, making Harry take a step back. Maybe they didn’t hear him? ‘’I said, I know you are there - so you should just remove my cloak,’’ he repeated, this time with more volume, his tone cracking a little bit. 

As the figure closed up, Harry noticed the magic starting move around.  _ Were they going to remove the cloak? _ He noticed. Then as he waited, quickly they lifted the cloak and revealed a hand - a hand with a wand in it. 

In a second magic had gathered around the wand and Harry understood what was coming. ‘’ _ Stupefy! _ ’’ the anonymous person shouted, it was a man. Even if he wanted to analyze the voice more Harry quickly dived out of the spell’s way. As he tried to scramble his body off the floor and reach for his wand the person walked to his side. 

Now, the cloak was fully off them. Harry rejoiced in victory as he had gotten his wand in his arm but he didn’t have time to cast as he was kicked to his side, causing him to hit the floor with a thump. ‘’Why?!’’ he groaned in confusion. Without an answer the figure walked towards Harry once more, now pushing his foot on Harry’s wand arm, pressing till Harry let go of his hand. Additionally earning a pained gasp from Harry. 

When Harry was about to look at his attackers face the final thing he saw was the familiar glow of the stunner spell hitting him. 


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> there might be some bad stuff happening in this chapter so beware

Tom eyed the common room, as the feast had ended most students had gathered in their common rooms as the hour was nearing the curfew. He was sitting around some of his classmates and a few second years. 

Mostly just Draco's 'friends', if he could call them that. All of them hounds gathering around him to earn prestige for their family and in turn make their parents proud. It was also why they were around Tom - the youngest King seen ever. An amazing opportunity for each of them to establish proper connections for the future as the King always went far with their live. 

The longer he reigned - the longer they would be remembered. To make sure his reign would be the longest Tom was in the common room, it wouldn't do good for the King to be in seclusion, so he made sure to make appearances in the common room a couple times every week. It was something he didn't enjoy partaking in, but if Thomas Shafiq was seen as an outcast in the future - it would do him no good. 

A heavy breath escaped him - dealing with the Slytherin's would be bearable if they gave him any sort of entertainment like Harry. No one dared to oppose him, neither did he wish for them to, maybe Harry was special in that regard.

Everyone else just brought him a headache and made him annoyed. Even if it was small talk or discussing the tutor schedule - mind numbing chatter, that made him want to gouge someone's eyes out. The last few months were horrible, it had been similar last year. Only thing that helped him was some… violence. Yet, he couldn't find anyone to torture in Hogwarts. 

The end of his wrath had been suffered by Severus sometimes, but not unnecessarily. Really, Tom hoped someone fitting appeared soon enough to entertain him. 

His eyes scanned over Ginny, who was sitting on the opposite end of the table, talking. Thankfully Astoria had been willing to reach out to Ginny and teach her the system… Tom had explained to her it would be the best for the Slytherin to appear strong and united on the outside rather than petty bullying going on, which only weakened them. A simple explanation of how it should be, Ginny was now a Slytherin and if she was going around being an outcast it would do them no good. 

Astoria's job was to make sure Ginny got it inside her head that there was no room for the weak like her. She was a strict teacher, who didn't let Ginny give up that easily. It was something she needed to learn - as Tom knew she was given a lot of privileges as her family’s only girl. The Weasley parents were really doting on Ginny and if they had the coin to spare, she would get an item she requested. 

His thoughts were then interrupted by Flint entering the room and meeting his eyes with Tom immediately - was he finally making his move? It would be about time. As if on queue the sixth year approached Tom, ‘’Shafiq, let’s have a chat in private.’’

Very crude and not acceptable behavior, but he wasn’t expecting anything else from the brute. The students around him sneered at the defeated ex-King, but put on a fake smile for Flints amusement. ‘’Very well, let’s go to my room then… I’m sure you know where it is,’’ he mocked the man who only seethed, but didn’t reply. They then walked in silence to Tom’s quarters, waiting in excitement to see what the man had to say.

As Flint shut the door after entering the room Tom activated the wards making the room secure for a discussion. ‘’So, after a few months of not even bothering to look me in the eyes… I expect this to be your grand move,’’ Tom said dryly, mocking the man. As he already knew everything Flint had going for him, thanks to his two twins keeping tabs on the man. 

Flint then threw a smug smile on and pulled something out of his bag. ‘’I’m sure you know who this belongs to initially,’’ Flint said with pride, but noticed Tom was not reacting as he was expecting. Yet, even if he wasn’t showing it on the outside, he did recognize the cloak. It was Harry’s invisibility cloak, but how had Flint come to the possession of the item?

Tom’s mind raced on how it could’ve ended up with Flint, but he came up blank. Harry had kept losing the family heirloom to himself and it was the first time this had happened. After all, the boy had told him everything if Tom just asked. Indeed, this was something Flint had managed to keep from Tom. It annoyed him. ‘’Hah! You act so all knowing and yet here you are - unable to say anything,’’ Flint laughed. 

‘’Nonetheless, I know you have the cloak now - it is easy to take it from your grasp,’’ Tom said with arrogance, it was a stupid move to show his cards. But with a twist Flint threw the cloak on Tom’s bed, as if it was dirt. 

‘’I have no need for it anymore, I have done all I wanted with it,’’ Flint said, now feeling himself full of power and superiority. Tom didn’t answer, because he knew Flint would supply him with his grand plan in a few seconds. 

Throwing away the invisibility cloak was something Tom realized he was using as a move to assert his superiority in this situation - but it was idiotic. That cloak was one of a kind and Flint didn’t even think of that. But then again - he wasn’t aware that that cloak had been passed down the Potter family for centuries. In his mind, the cloak was closing in on it’s life cycle. 

‘’As family, I am sure you were there when the Potter’s gave their first born the expensive gift. Probably had been horrible to watch - but the adopted son will never be as important. Once abandoned…’’ he let it end itself, it annoyed Flint when Tom didn’t react at all. 

Foolish insults, but his deduction abilities were good, too bad he couldn’t possibly know the truth. ‘’Yet, even if you were adopted, I know you care for Potter. Even going as far as sending a few nosy ears to follow me around. Too bad they underestimated me and always missed it when we continued after them leaving,’’ Flint said with a smug grin. 

Tom wasn’t fazed - it was the least credit he could give the man. He didn’t know there were two people following him, ‘’but, even my comrades have been faltering. Your ‘tutoring’ has been getting my classmates interested. It’s all because of incompetent Lockhart who doesn’t know how to teach that you have been able to turn them over! So, I moved on my own… with only one person accompanying me - the one who is with your precious Potter right now.’’

‘’So, you are resorting to blackmail?’’ Tom mocked. It was the last thing Flint could pull, ‘’you will harm him if I don’t hand over the crown?’’ 

Flint shook his head, ‘’all I need for you to do is stay out of the election I am initiating today, forfeiting your title by default. If you don’t, well I’ll make sure your cripple brother will not exiting that infirmary for a while.’’

‘’And you think no one will notice it?’’ Tom said with a grin. 

Flint shrugged, ‘’a person who was already sick, turning up not being able to be around anyone else once again? It’s nothing to be surprised about.’’ Tom didn’t respond, indeed Harry’s condition gave Flint a lot of leeway in this situation - yet the kid was being looked after by Dumbledore would the old man really ignore it if Harry got reduced to his initial condition once more? 

No, he shouldn’t even consider that. Nothing would happen to Harry, even if he hadn’t had enough information beforehand he would not let anything happen to him. ‘’I know that you can’t approach Potter Shafiq, so trying to a rescue operation would be foolish,’’ Flint said with a smile, ‘’so, I hope I won’t see you downstairs… it would be a shame if your brother would be harmed.’’

Tom remained with a neutral expression, but then he laughed a bit. ‘’Very well, how long till you start the vote?’’ Tom questioned.

‘’Ten minutes, curfew is starting then. All Slytherin will have gathered by then, don’t think I would let you have any time to find your brother and send your crooks to him,’’ Flint said and then promptly walked to the door and opened it. ‘’You had a good run Shafiq, shame you went against me,’’ was his last words before walking out of the door and closing it. 

When Flint had left the room Tom quickly pulled out the Marauder’s map from his desk and found where Flint had taken Harry to. Then he noticed it in the abandoned halls of the third floor, Victor Vlermuis and Harry Potter - no one even near them. Filch was just walking out of the third floor, meaning he wouldn’t even be near there in an hour and who knows where that damn cat was prowling at.

He gritted his teeth, already knowing what kind of a man Victor Vlermuis was. His father had been one of his lowest tier of Death Eaters, someone who was unable to continue up the ranks as his mind was so gone to the deep end. The end of the war was where that man had reveled in, torture and mindless killing of anyone in their path. Yet Vlermuis had a special trait, he enjoyed watching the misery of their victims, sometimes even leaving someone alive just to live in pain for the rest of their time on earth.

If his intel was to be trusted Victor Vlermuis had inherited his father's liking towards getting others be miserable, just more dulled than the father’s. It was a good pick for Flint if it came to be they had to inflict pain upon Harry, Vlermuis wouldn’t think twice about going through with the threats. Thankfully he had inherited his mother’s intelligence and cunning, he wouldn’t do anything that could have lasting effects on his career. 

That is, if the intel was correct. 

Then he put the map it in his pocket promptly and picked the cloak from the bed, storing it in his trunk. No one else should know of its existence - to everyone else, the cloak is now gone and missing. 

With hurry in his step he walked downstairs to the common room and scanned the floor, the twins should be coming out of Flints gathering now - they should be heading back to their own common room. Tom checked the map and saw them walking down the hallways, heading towards the Gryffindor common rooms as planned. Entering the common room Tom noticed Draco being at the corner. 

He took a deep breath and walked to the blonde, ‘’follow me  **now** .’’ He left no room for arguments for the blonde as he scrambled to follow Tom outside the common room and into the hallway. 

As they had walked a few paces and Tom made sure no one was following them, he turned to the blonde and handed him the map - deactivated. ‘’Take this and head to the Gryffindor common room and find the twins, as fast as you can. Tell them, ‘third floor, rescue and secure’, I’m sure they will understand.’’

Draco just stared at Tom with confusion, ‘’it’s almost curfew! If I get caught I will be sent to detention without question,’’ he whined but Tom just glared at him and let go some of his magic to make sure the blonde understood that staying in the safety of the common room would bring him nothing but suffering. 

‘’I suggest you get going then, so you don’t get caught,’’ his tone was icy, not in the mood for Malfoy’s ego and values. 

With a slight nod Malfoy took a step back, ‘’o-of course, I shall get going.’’ He whimpered and took the piece of paper from Tom and started walking away. As Draco started walking away with haste in his step Tom turned around and noticed the nearing magic source. It seemed the pain levels on his arm had been enough to invoke haste. 

‘’Severus, good you made it,’’ Tom said with a serious expression. Snape was seemingly cool, but his outer expression wasn’t showing the burning pain his left forearm was causing him. It had been a while since he had felt the burning anger in the Dark Lord’s magic. He was certain if they weren’t inside Hogwarts the Dark Lord would’ve taken out his anger on everyone there.

Tom’s face turned into a dark smile, ‘’we have a troublesome pest we need to take care of…’’

*****

Harry woke up with a gasp of breath, his mind still in full alert mode. Trying to move his hands he realised he was restrained and his back was against the wall. He shook his body in an attempt to break free but finding the restraints unbudging. It only helped with the thick rope bear into his wrists deeper.

‘’It seems the baby lion has awoken,’’ a snarky sound was heard from his side. Harry turned his head to see the short brown haired man near him, instantly recognizing the green tie in his robes. Harry didn’t really know who they were, but surely a fifth or sixth year, maybe even a seventh year student. But, what would someone like him want with him? 

He took a deep breath, trying to remember what he had been taught by his parents. There had been lessons involving how to act in case he ever got kidnapped by someone - well, the lessons were for Death Eaters. Hopefully this wasn’t a case of someone as murderous and crazed, ‘’so, why am I here?’’

The person laughed a bit, ‘’would’ve thought you’d be more… panicky, a shame.’’ It was a weird sort of disappointed, shouldn’t he be frowning? Instead the student was smiling with glee, which sent shivers down Harry’s spine. With a carefree shrug Harry tried to give him a smile back, ‘’well, in the end we are in Hogwarts… Anything too horrible would be quickly picked up by the wards.’’ As he finished his sentence it seemed to amuse the student. 

‘’Such a nice sentiment,’’ they said. 

Harry’s smile dropped a bit there, he really wasn’t getting a good read on the other and he wasn’t getting answer to any of his questions. Chatting was important when taken, maybe he could find something that could make the other make them not hurt him. ‘’Shouldn’t you tell me your name?’’ Harry suggested. 

‘’Vlermuis, Victor Vlermuis. If your parents have told you anything about the war I am sure you have heard of my father… Hah, no - they probably kept it from you,’’ he said and reached into his pocket inside the robe. Harry watched as Vlermuis pulled out an ornamental knife, it was beautifully decorated with vines going around the handle. On the middle of it was a family crest which had bats decorated in it. 

It was oozing with magic, which made Harry tense a bit. ‘’No, I haven’t heard of that name,’’ Harry answered. If he was honest, he was never heard from the Vlermuis family. 

‘’It’s not a surprise, after all my father was a Death Eater who was killed in battle. No wonder that after the war had ended, my mother and I were shunned from every gathering. Our family vaults emptied as time went on as no one wanted to be associated with us,’’ Victor explained with anger veiling his voice. 

Harry listened to his words and when Victor turned his eyes to look at Harry in spite Harry pushed his back more firmly against the wall. ‘’What has to do with my parents? I’m sure your father knew what he was getting into when he followed an insane murderer,’’ Harry asked.

‘’Maybe, but that doesn’t matter now. He is dead and the reason why is because your parents used your harmless light magic to collapse an entire building on his back. After getting their precious muggles out of the building they left everyone there to suffer,’’ his anger was growing as he got further into his story. 

Harry tried to stay strong, ‘’it was a war… Deaths were inevitable.’’ 

‘’James Potter was the one who cast that bombarda spell. These deaths were fine to the Light just because they were caused by such pure magic,’’ Victor said with spite. He laughed, ‘’I am not angry he has died or that your parents were the ones who caused it…’’ he explained, spinning the dagger around in his hands. 

‘’I am mad because he was left there and then buried along with those dirty people he fought against. We tried to get his body back so he could get a proper burial, but no. The Auror told us it was out of his hands - they needed to get the evidence of magic out of the way as quickly as possible,’’ he spat. 

Then a laugh came out of his mouth, ‘’they destroyed his legacy and all I have left of it is this knife, the family heirloom of the Vlermuis. My father always told me how Voldemort was the man who was going to change our community for the better, his faith being blind… That man left us to fall apart and die.’’

Harry didn’t what to comment anymore. There was so much anger in the student before him, not only towards him but everyone around him. ‘’I… why are you telling me all of this?’’ he asked, finding himself at a loss of words. He tried to read the others' emotions through his magic but it was all around, sometimes it was cool and calm and when he talked about the past he seemed to flare. 

‘’I was told not to hurt you, but the only reason I agreed to go with this and risk the rips of my reputation was to get rid of the anger and pain inside me. Who would be better than the spawn of the Potters?’’ Victor spoke with a happy tone. 

Harry then watched as the Slytherin took a firm grasp of the knife, ‘’Flint really was thankful for me helping him, after no one else wanting to get involved… Maybe I am able to just make him fall for all the blame!’’ 

_ Flint?  _ Harry thought in confusion. Really, nothing made sense to him. Suddenly he had been attacked by someone with his cloak and then he woke up next to someone holding a grudge against his family. "He told me to look after you until he came back, but I plan to leave in about twenty minutes… so I can't be tied to anything that happened to you," he laughed. 

Then without any warning he plunged the knife to Harry's shoulder, causing Harry to scream out in pain. A laughter just came out of Victor's lips as he watched Harry shut his eyes at the pain. When the initial pain faded he pulled the knife out, causing another wave of stabbing pain go through Harry. 

Yet, when the dagger was back at Victor's side the pain was completely gone. Harry's eyes looked towards his shoulder, there was no wound, no blood. "This dagger you see was invented by my ancestors - a good mix of mind magics and some dark curses," Victor started explaining.

"I swear you just stabbed me!" Harry said, now with fear in his voice. This was the first time he had felt pain like that, it was something he didn't want to experience again. 

Victor just chuckled, "the moment someone sees this dagger it activates the magic in it. In truth there is no blade at all, it is just an illusion created for four mind. So when I stab you-" he hit the blade on Harry's leg, this time pulling it instantly out, "-your mind thinks I have actually stabbed you, simulating pain like an actual wound has been made!"

Harry breathed out heavily as the pain subsided once more. His mind was hazy and all he was starting to feel was fear towards the knife hitting him once more. "The dark curses are just there to enhance the experience, to be honest I do not know everything about how it works. Just stole it from my mother's study and tested it. It's so good to see the realization of what is happening in the victims face!" he was so chirpy and happy, then came the next stab. 

Harry didn't know why but he watched as the blade hit his stomach, he felt his body convulse in pain and the dread filling his body.  _ I'm gomed.ing to die,  _ it was as if his whole body had frozen due to the repetitive shock. Pain, so much of it. Why was this happening to him? What had he done to get this man to hate him so? There was no answer, just more questions flooded his head as the bladed entered and left his body so many times he had lost count. 

_ Why? _

_ Please end it. _

_ Stop. _

_ Why is this happening? _

_ It’s so painful… help me, someone… please. _

_ Why is no one coming? I can’t stop it myself, it keeps coming back.  _

_ I can’t stop it, why can’t I make him end. Are my screams only giving him more energy? Why isn’t he stopping? Why?!  _ was all he could ask in the end.

As it continued all he could hear was his own voice being mixed in with the happy laughter of Victor. Even if he cried for help, he was sure no one would hear, there were wards around the room they were in. Finally Victor stopped the constant stabbing and even he was breathing heavily. Harry dropped his head down and stared at his legs being powerless on the ground. Was this how his future looked like? Just waiting for the pain to end? Was this what he had been learning all those years for?

Tears started flooding from his eyes, but his eyes kept staring at the ground as his tears blocked his sight. He cursed himself for his weakness. The pain had faded away but he felt so empty inside, his body and mind was in shock. He wanted to escape but there was nowhere to go, finally he looked back at Victor who was now looking down on him. 

‘’That is a face I love to see, so full of despair… I wish I could take a picture of it so I could remember it forever,’’ he said with pleasure cloaking his voice. ‘’It is good you haven’t lost your consciousness yet due to the pain, most of my test subjects would’ve been gone by now!’’ he laughed and then crouched in front of Harry once more. 

Then he pointed the knife towards Harry’s head, ‘’you are so entertaining.. I wonder how you would react if I hit you here… The muggles I did it to just fainted! They couldn’t bear through it, so disappointing… I wonder if you are different Potter? What do you say… want to try?’’ 

It was a sickening chuckle he ended his sentence with. Harry only stared at the knife, he was scared - yet the idea of falling into slumber tempted him. He didn’t want the pain and if the other option was getting away from the situation. It would be fine. If he continued living someone like Victor would take him again and make him go through all this pain once more. He couldn’t stand up to them - he realized that now. His life would be only misery. 

‘’Do it,’’ his voice was defeated. 

Not waiting for Harry to change his mind Victor plunged the knife through Harry’s head. When the hilt of the blade made contact with Harry’s head he felt the rush of stabbing pain once more and then white clouded his vision. It wasn’t the dark he usually fell into, white - pure white. Yet, the pain was still there, as if screaming at him that he wasn’t allowed to be departed from it. Slowly the whiteness became a white dot in his sight and it kept getting smaller and smaller. 

It was leaving him, something was getting away from him and as the smaller it came, the larger the pain grew - as something was holding onto him with all their power. His head felt like splitting, the ringing started in his ears and he didn’t know if he was making any sound anymore, all he knew was the white dot departing from him and the pain with it. 

Horrible, he wished it was gone quicker. Then as quickly as the pain had come it disappeared and all he saw was black and Harry attempted to open his eyes, but it was so quiet - almost deafening. Something was about to crash on him and so it did. 

Images and memories came flooding back to him, all he had been made to forget during the first year with Tom came rushing back to him. Then as it ended he sat there, his hands still tied and eyes staring at nothing. All he knew was that Victor was now gone and no one else was there but him. He didn’t want to think. 

There was no shudder, no emotion, no reaction on the outside. All he felt was the pain in his throat, as if he had been screaming for hours. His mind focused on that throbbing, Harry didn’t want to think. He shouldn’t think about it, but as his focus finally came back and his mind started to clear. The past that really happened and not what he had thought he had gone through. 

His eyes burned, but he didn’t cry. There was no sadness, no anger. 

Why had everything went like this?

And there he sat, his mind wandering. Avoiding the last phrase Tom had told him - Harry felt unable to process that. If he let himself even touch upon it, it hurt. 

Why did it hurt?


	13. Chapter 13

Draco was annoyed - he had been put to get the twins and hand them the parchment and tell the message Tom had. This had made them turn more serious than he had ever seen the two and whispered to the parchment and tapped on it with their wands. Afterwards they started quickly walking through the hallways and Draco followed. 

Fred and George didn’t seem to mind him following that much, ‘’so what is going on?’’ Draco asked, curious what had gotten the two turn to such a serious stance. 

‘’Harry is in danger and it’s up to us to bail him out,’’ George explained without stopping his walking. Fred seemed to nod in agreement faintly. ‘’I guess you just decided to follow,’’ Fred added with a slight snicker. Even if the redhead was trying to act carefree Draco knew he was putting up a front, his voice was shaking a bit. 

Draco was about to say why wasn’t Tom doing this himself, but he had already heard that Shafiq wasn’t able to be around his brother at the moment. ‘’You think it’s Flint?’’ Draco asked, ‘’I saw him take Shafiq to the side earlier and after that was over he sent me here.’’ 

George and Fred both shared a look, it was somehow sad and disappointed at the same time. Draco really couldn’t figure the two out. He waited for an answer but one never came, it was odd to be the one to start a conversation with the twins. Had he gotten used to talking to the two? Even if he pushed them away they always still came back as cheery as before. 

This time it was different, they were serious and not in the mood to joke around - yet they threw a few joking comments here and there on the way to ease their nerves. When the group entered the third floor corridors Fred and George once more checked on the piece of paper. Draco attempted to see what was on it, but all he could see from the distance he was at was some hazy shapes. 

"You certain he is kept here?" Draco asked, slightly bothered by the fact he wasn't told about anything. He could help, even if it was about annoying Potter. 

"Yup, just a bit more along the left side hallway and there should be a door on the right and baam! Harry found… but…" George said and his words were clouded with concern. 

Fred seemed grim as well, "the person making sure Harry couldn't go anywhere left, we missed him while coming here. Probably due to the shortcuts we used… damn." Draco was slightly surprised that the two seemed annoyed that the person had left there. 

"So, we can just walk in and get Potter! This turned out to be easier than I thought," he beamed as he realised that there wouldn't be any kind of dueling involved. Yet, this enthusiasm wasn’t shared by Fred and George, as the two pocketed the map and continued walking towards where Harry was held. 

‘’If Gill had left the room, it means he was done with Harry, hopefully that doesn’t mean anything too bad,’’ Fred said with a sour face and then Draco had a moment of realization. Maybe he hadn’t considered the circumstances through completely. He didn’t add anymore and only followed the twins to the room.

Arriving at the door it was already open from it’s lock and Fred pushed it open gently while holding his wand on his other hand. As the old door creaked open the group focused their attention to see what was inside, then as Fred’s eyes hit on the form on Harry’s body on the opposite wall he darted inside. Draco and George watched as Fred crouched to Harry’s side but it seemed as if Harry wasn’t noticing them there.

The young Potter’s body was dangling to the front, it was like his body was being pulled to the ground and only his hands that were tied to the wall were keeping him from falling. ‘’Harry?’’ Fred asked as he faintly tried Harry’s shoulder, then as no reply came he tried Harry’s wrist for a pulse quickly and sighed in relief when a reply came. 

‘’Alohomora,’’ George cast and unbinded Harry’s hands and then caught him with his other hand, laying Harry on the ground calmly. While this had happened Fred made sure to look over Harry for any wounds but didn’t find any. Finally he pulled his hand out from Harry’s wrist but then Harry grabbed Fred’s hand back instantly. 

Draco then shrieked a bit as Harry had lifted his head along with the fast movement. There was no sound coming from Harry at all, just that his eyes were focused on his hand grabbing Fred’s arm. His breathing was hard but his eyes were alight with life now, ‘’Harry!’’ Fred yelled out in order to get Harry’s attention as he was starting to feel his wrist burn up.

Slowly lifting his head Harry looked at Fred, ‘’oh, hello.’’ The tone was as if nothing odd had happened before. Yet, his voice was hoarse from his throat being so dry. With a slight smile Harry let go of Fred’s hand, but his gaze was still focused on his own hand - his gloves had been left at the Gryffindor common room. 

‘’Scared us there, seeing you so out of it in this abandoned room,’’ Geroge said with the casual tone he was known for. Fred seemed to agree with it, still holding on to his own hand which seemed to be feeling like it was just burned. ‘’You alright though? That Gill fool didn’t do anything to you did he?’’

Harry stared at his hand and smiled crookedly for a second and then put his hand down and looked at the three around him, ‘’no, he did not.’’ Even if he gave that as an answer Draco personally didn’t believe him at all. Harry’s voice was so coarse it didn’t seem like nothing had happened with the two. Just yesterday Draco had heard Harry talk and there was nothing odd with his voice. This change had happened recently. 

‘’Harry… we just saw you an hour ago! What happened to your voice?’’ George asked, concerned for his friend. When he had finished his sentence Harry laughed awkwardly which ended with him coughing, prompting Fred to put his hand on Harry’s back on support. 

Draco watched as the two seemed to be crowding around Harry as two mother hen’s while he just watched on the side. Finally when Harry’s cough passed he answered, ‘’when they took me I think I screamed too much.. Haha…’’ it was weak and something Draco wanted never to see. Even if he mocked Harry a lot for being weak and foolish this sight was something he didn’t want to see. 

Flint had gone too far, that was for sure. ‘’Can you get up? We should head back to the common room, you need some rest mate,’’ George said with a warm smile and Harry nodded. 

‘’Shouldn’t we take him to the infirmary just in case? Even if there is no wounds on the outside-’’ Draco started but Harry instantly jumped in. 

‘’Don’t, I’m good…’’ he tried arguing but only got even more concerned stares towards him. Then he slowly got up from the ground and wobbled a bit when he stood up. After a few seconds to recover he straightened himself up once more. Fred stepped then to Harry’s side and looked at him quite worried, ‘’you think you can manage to walk all the way back to the common rooms?’’

Harry nodded and smiled reassuringly, ‘’I’m certain.’’

It was indeed a feeble attempt and this time the twins weren’t backing off as easy, ‘’at least let one of us act as support when you walk. You seem like a slight breeze could push you ever.’’ As he ended his sentence Harry sighed and took Fred’s offer and used his shoulder than as support. 

‘’Fine, but no infirmary,’’ Harry said firmly at the end. 

Draco barked a laugh, ‘’it doesn’t fit you to act tough Potter.’’

‘’And you being here is totally normal,’’ Harry shot back with a bored face. Draco was slightly hurt but didn’t return the favor anymore - even him had his knowledge of common courtesy. There was a slight part of him that had tried to cheer up Harry by their usual banter, because he really didn't know how else to act. 

He wasn't close with Potter - but he wasn't enjoying him looking so defeated. "I should go tell Tom that Harry is fine now," Draco said simply, knowing he wasn't needed anymore in the situation. 

George then walked up to him and put his hand on Draco's shoulder, "you can be a prick sometimes but thanks for helping. Oh! I think you need to take this back to Tom as well.." as he finished his sentence he grabbed the map from his pocket once more and handed it to Draco. 

"Oh yeah, thanks. Would've been bad if I went back without it," Draco said, glad he wasn't going to be gutted by Tom for his absentmindedness. As if to lighten the mood Fred chuckled.

"You ain't out of trouble yet blondie, there are still prefects roaming the halls," he said with a mocking tone, which prompted Draco's face to drop in dread. 

Then he realized the two Weasley's had always managed to avoid getting caught by the prefects, "wait how you two avoid them? Tell me something… I don't want to end up writing lines for McGonagall!" 

All he got for an answer was a laugh and a pat on the back by both of the twins as they walked by him and to the doorway. "Just grovel on the ground, they won't look down," Fred mocked and walked off with Harry in tow. George quickly followed the two other Gryffindors, leaving a sull Draco in the dusty room. 

With an annoyed huff Draco started heading out of the third floor. Due to sheer luck he managed to avoid the prefects. Entering the common room he saw it to be empty, except for a few lingering students. With a sigh of relief he headed towards Tom's room, it was late and he was quite tired. 

At the door, he was ready to open it but then he heard a pain filled screams escape from the crack of the door. It froze him completely in his tracks. With caution he peeked through the crack in the door. his eyes widened as he saw Flint laying on the floor, holding his legs close to his torso. 

The sixth year who normally was full of confidence was now whimpering on the floor in pain and tears flooding from his eyes. Draco couldn't see who was the one who caused it, but it was Tom's room… Could it be someone else? 

"My Lord, if you cast one more curse at him I don't think he will be able to bear it," Severus dry voice was heard from the room. Draco gasped and covered his mouth instantly when he realised he made noise. 

Slowly he backed away from the door, thinking if he should escape or stand his ground… But who was Snape calling "my lord"? Before he could make any sort of decision Snape was already at the door. 

"Ah, Draco," Snape said and looked down on Draco being a bit bent over. To ease the tension Draco laughed a bit and then straightened himself out. 

"Hello professor, what brings you here this late?" he greeted, as if nothing had happened. 

Snape was about to say something but Tom called out from the room, "let him in, also professor you may go now."

Without answering the call Snape walked away then and all that was left was Draco scared to go in to the room he was so used to nonchalantly barge in. With a mental pat on his back, he walked into the room, expecting to see Flint there once again but the sixth year was nowhere to be seen. 

"You have the paper with you?" Tom asked, as if nothing had happened. Draco nodded and took the paper from his pocket and handed it to to Tom who took it from the blonde and laid it on his desk. 

Draco didn't dare to say anything, there went a slight shiver down his spine when Tom locked his eyes with him. Was this really the same person he had known for the beginning of the year? The aura he was letting out was freezing and made it hard to breath in the same room as him. "The twins did their job?" Tom asked. 

"Yes, I-I followed them to make sure and Harry was a bit weak and his voice was hoarse, but he assured that nothing had happened. Fred and George then escorted him back to the common rooms," Draco explained, beating himself up on why was he scared of Tom Shafiq. 

Nothing could make him forget what he had seen just then. Flint growling on the ground couldn't have been a mirage? "You may go now Malfoy, it is quite late. Better get some rest," Tom then excused the blonde. 

Draco gave a court nod and walked to the door, but before he could exit he could hear a bone chilling voice call after him. "Oh, Draco… I'm sure it goes without saying that whatever you saw won't be passed onto others…" was the call out that froze Draco. 

He didn't turn around to look at Tom, it wouldn't be a good idea. "Of course, I will stay quiet," Draco said with a shiver in his voice. 

"Excellent, good night Draco," was the last thing Draco heard before sprinting out of the room. His pulse racing, as if he was escaping from a demon chasing him.

*****

_ He said it would be only a few months… _

It was a voice full of anger, yet it was sad. It was a dream, at least that is what Harry assumed. The last thing he remembered was falling into his bed full of exhaustion. That would mean this was a dream… then who did the voice belong to? 

_ You aren’t me. _

It echoed it his mind, the childish voice. Then a canvas of white appeared before him with him in the middle of it. Indeed, it was a dream… hopefully. 

_ You are a puppet. _

Harry turned around, as the voice finally had a definite direction. There was a child sitting on the ground, well a silhouette of a child. It was a white figure with a black miasma oozing out of it. Harry held his breath, it was him when he had been younger. The messy hair, the round glasses, he didn’t know who else it could be. 

‘’I am not a puppet,’’ he answered, even if it felt stupid. Answering himself was weird, an odd experience after all. 

_ Puppets stay in the strings ‘cos they can’t cut the wires. _

The figure said with anger, but was it towards Harry anymore? He didn’t know. Then with a step towards the child Harry hesitated. Finally knowing what the child was supposed to be, ‘’are you the memories I lost?’’ 

_ … _

There was no answer, but the silence spoke volumes at that moment. Harry felt sadness towards the child. Even if he remembered everything, that wasn’t the person he had grown to be. The emotions and decisions he had made in the past didn’t feel like him. No, it wasn’t him. It was a different version of him. 

‘’Tom cut your strings, but he put the back on. That is why I am here,’’ Harry said, sitting on the white floor as well, opposite of the child. When there wasn’t an answer from the child he continued, ‘’I am the real version… without his influence.’’

_ You are just dancing to the Order’s tune… Sitting in that cage for years, wishing to be let out instead of being sheltered.  _

‘’Mom and Dad only wanted to protect me - no, us,’’ Harry insisted. 

_ That only brought you to grow up to be naive and foolish! I waited for so long for you to remember, watching all of your mistakes. Now, I was released when something that was due to hit you - reality.  _

Harry felt his throat dry or was it just his mind still knowing it was in pain from the earlier yelling. Yet, the throbbing was there and the remainder what had happened. His inability to do anything when faced with real danger, he had been weak. Weaker than he wanted to admit to be. 

_ That’s why you didn’t tell the twins or the blonde. You were ashamed. _

No, he wasn’t ashamed. All he wanted was for the others not to worry, it was something he should deal with himself. Fight his own battles. Harry was shaking his head, his chest being tight with anxiety. Maybe a part of him wanted to forget what had happened and continue like nothing had happened…

_ So weak. Running away. Was that all you have learned?! To run away when there is something hurting you? You had so many years… to relearn the things I had. Here you are, escaping instead of finding a way to grow stronger and make sure no one else can hurt you like Gill did.  _

‘’The orphanage was a mistake, taking revenge like that.. It was wrong!’’ Harry almost screamed, his mind not wanting to accept he had made the decisions he had then. Those memories were something he wanted to bury. 

_ It made Tom happy… wouldn’t it make you happy as well to do the same to Gill? Or to Flint who had let Gill be alone with you? _

‘’No… It wouldn’t,’’ Harry said, trying to stay strong. As he had said that the whiteness around them turned to the scene of the fire of the orphanage. The warmth and beauty, it was horrible he was still feeling the same with the sight of the fire. It calmed his mind, brought down the anxiety and made him feel like it was all going to be fine. 

_ We chose Tom. _

‘’I didn’t choose him - you did,’’ Harry insisted. ‘’And the whole truth wasn’t told to us yet then… he had only used us like-’’ he stopped himself from ending that sentence, regretting the way his mind was starting to think. 

_ Like the Order had? _

It stabbed him with pain to hear his own voice to say those words out loud. Harry’s mouth opened to deny it but he couldn’t, it was something he wouldn’t lie to himself about. Indeed, the long months spent in the house had left his mind in a dark place, even without the memories he didn’t know he had forgotten. His weekly activities were all for him to learn how to defeat Voldemort… Tom. 

Now he knew, he wouldn’t be able to even come close to defeating Tom. Not talking about Death Eaters, it just made him wonder about Dumbledore and what was really his plan for him. The prophecy… it was really conflicted. 

_ Tom won’t kill you. _

Harry froze and only his eyes looked at the figure, the landscape now turned from the fire to Tom standing next to him. The brown eyes glittered with the reflection of the fire yet they weren’t directed towards the burning building. 

_ All he did was for us to learn. To grow stronger, unlike how the Order wants us. Even if he is Voldemort… I trust him. _

‘’Trust,’’ Harry laughed. It was laughable, trusting someone who he was told would kill him the instant they saw each other. What was the point of hiding out inside a house all his childhood if the madman he was told about lived with him? Tom didn’t want him dead, Harry did believe that. ‘’I don’t trust him,’’ he said - he couldn’t 

_ I understand. _

‘’We are not the same person… You blindly followed him into that building, I can’t do that anymore. Yet, I won’t tell about him,’’ Harry explained, as if to assure his other version. 

_ If you tell… Do you think Dumbledore would still believe you had the conviction to kill him? _

It was silent as Harry thought on the answer. He laughed a bit and then sadly smiled, ‘’no I wouldn’t. Tom is important to me, even if he lied…’’ there were tears forming in his eyes. There was pain in his chest. All he had known in his life was to kill Voldemort, but he couldn’t go through with it anymore. Puppet without a purpose. Useless. 

_ Then you are not a puppet. _

‘’What?’’ Harry asked, confused, his eyes blinking out the tears in his eyes. 

_ As long as we have our own goal… you are not a puppet.  _

Harry closed his mouth and breathed in and out slowly, calming himself. Everything in his mind was falling apart and what he had previously known was fading away, his purpose is unclear. If he didn’t have the prophecy he was supposed to follow - what then? Did he even know what else there was?

_ Accept your past and you future - the answer will come. Also ask a question, do you want to live? If yes, do you want to spend it in misery and self doubt or do you want to make sure nothing like today will happen ever again? _

‘’I want to live…’’ Harry said, almost defeated. Realizing he never had that inspiration to walk forwards in life - he had gone with the flow because it was all he knew. It was frightening.

_ It’s fine. _

Harry lifted his head and looked at his younger self. No, it wasn’t young anymore - it was just him like he was at the present. His shoulders were drooping, his head was facing downward and in total he just looked… scared. Scared of what was going to happen next, it had been so long since he hadn’t been scared. All he had known was fear, fear of Voldemort. Now, that wasn’t necessary anymore.z

_ Fear keeps us safe. _

Harry shook his head. ‘’No, I don’t want that,’’ Harry said and got up from the white floor. 

_ Why? Resisting just makes us feel more pain… _

He hated it, these were the things he had thought at his worst - projected back at him. Maybe it was his subconsciousness or the memories mocking him, it made him realise something. ‘’They can’t hurt us if we learn,’’ Harry said back. 

_ Learn..? _

‘’Learn how to be stronger, smarter… powerful. We won’t feel pain again…’’ Harry swore, his eyes shining with the new discovery. When he looked back at the figure of himself it had reverted back to his childlike self again. 

_ Tom will help us if we ask him! _

Harry smiled, sadly. It was indeed what he would do if he was younger. Run to Tom and tell everything what was bothering him, but now… he should learn by himself. Trusting Tom to protect him every time something bad happened that wouldn’t change him from his past at all. Waiting for others to save him while he was just staying still and waiting. ‘’I shall do it myself, next time if someone is trying to cause me harm... I will make sure to return the favor,’’ as he finished that sentence the scenery fell to darkness and the figure only gave him a smirk before disappearing. 

He wouldn’t be weak any longer.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took a while to get out but I did a lot of changes to the flow of the story. It's going to be a wild ride after this chapter :)

The next day Harry woke up and headed down to the infirmary before anyone else woke up. He needed his breakfast and something extra. Arriving at the infirmary he got greeted by Pomfrey and when he greeted her back she instantly noticed his hoarse voice. ‘’Oh, I think I caught a cold…’’ Harry said simply, but got a  _ look _ from Pomfrey. 

‘’It is getting cold and who knows how weak your body is right now…’’ Pomfrey said with worry and then took a potion from her cupboard, ‘’one sip of this per day and the throat pain should go away.’’ 

Harry nodded and took the potion and put it in his bag. ‘’Also umm, I have one more issue…’’ he started, looking a bit uncomfortable. To this Pomfrey seemed slightly confused, as Harry rarely spent more time than he needed to at the infirmary. 

‘’Do tell, I am here to listen after all. But you better eat your meal afterwards,’’ Pomfrey said strictly, motioning towards the plate that had appeared to the nearby desk. Harry laughed at that a bit but then got more serious once more. 

‘’Of course, but you see… with everything going on with me lately I’ve been having a lot of worries and I haven’t been able to sleep well. Actually I have only gotten a few hours a night and I wonder if you have something to help with that?’’ Harry asked, hopeful looking. Pomfrey seemed thoughtful of what Harry had said until she finally gave a soft sigh. 

‘’Usually I would recommend some activities that let your mind think of other things… but in your case, I’m going to do an exception,’’ Pomfrey explained and then took out small vials containing a dark purple liquid. ‘’Take one each time before you go to sleep, they will knock you out,’’ Pomfrey explained, ‘’don’t take them consecutively though. Try to sleep on your own as well, it’s not good to rely on the Sleeping Draught.’’

Harry nodded and took the potions, ‘’of course, I’ll keep that in mind. Thank you Madam!’’ Harry said, chirpy once more and Pomfrey huffed a bit of air. 

‘’Now go eat your food and hurry those potions back to you dorm. Don’t let anyone else take them!’’ she added and Harry hurried to the desk to eat his breakfast. When he had finished, he hurried to the dorms to store the potions in his trunk and took a sip of the potion to ease his throat. As he was doing that Ron woke up and greeted Harry.

‘’Hey mate, here’s your gloves you forgot yesterday… Weird how you disappeared like that, where did you go to anyways?’’ Ron asked, his speech slightly slurred due to the tiredness. 

Harry laughed a bit, ‘’I got a bit distracted and wandered and when I realised it, it was already curfew! You were all already sleeping when I came back here.’’ 

Ron then got up from his bed and realised Harry was already dressed, ‘’it seems you were up early as well…’’ It was a dry comment, then he threw the gloves at Harry and wandered to the bathroom. ‘’I don’t want to go to potions class…’’ Ron complained as he shut the bathroom door. 

Harry then was left there in the dorm, staring at his gloves. Even though they were a symbol of him being weak, well maybe he wouldn’t have to wear them any longer. Yesterday when he was being called by Fred, he could feel the energy flowing into his body. Something inside him had reached out for that surge of magic, if he learned how to control the power… he could continue living normally once more. 

The sleeping draughts would help as well… a slight laugh left his lips at the absurdity of his plans. But as he was putting the gloves back on, he realized he hadn’t opened the diary yet after what had happened. It gave him a sinking feeling, now remembering everything from his past. Should he just pretend like everything was normal? Until he was ready to face Tom with the truth?

He opened the book up and went to the page where there were the newest message already written there. 

_ I am sure yesterday frightened you, but I assure you nothing like that will happen again. Flint has given up on his troubles with me and in turn with you. _

It was a short message, but it got Harry’s head spinning. Flint was the one who had made his meeting with Victor happen. What had Tom done to him Harry would not know, but whatever it was… it wasn’t good. At the same time it made him sad and happy. Sad that someone had been hurt and happy to know his debt had been paid… yet, he wished he could return it all to Flint. Did this mean it was because of Tom he had been hurt?

If being close to Tom meant he would be hurt more, maybe he should keep this to himself for now. Until he was prepared. After all, he couldn’t even get close to Tom at that moment… could it be that was because of Tom as well? His magic sensitivity? Harry shook his head - he shouldn’t think about that. He couldn’t do anything about it. 

He swiftly took his quill and wrote back to Tom.

_ Is this why you couldn’t be seen with me? Did you know this would happen to me? Could you have prevented it? _

His hand shook as he wrote the words, but stopped himself from continuing, as his emotions were flaring up and the unanswered questions were starting to be too much. Even if he knew he should be calm and not be like this, it couldn’t be contained. 

_ I knew something like this could happen, but you weren’t harmed and that is all that matters. _

Harry read that and felt anger, but then it simmered down to guilt. It was him that had stayed quiet about what had happened, but he couldn’t have told the twins and of all people Malfoy that someone had made him go through emotional torture… not because of Tom or Flint, but because he held so much anger towards him and his family. Harry didn’t answer before Tom continued writing.

_ How did you get captured? I find it odd that with your newfound abilities you would be caught unaware. Also all the training you had been going through all these years would’ve made you able to hold on until someone heard the commotion. _

He hated how perceptive Tom was, it had always infuriated him in the past. Now, it just made sense, this wasn’t Tom’s first life and probably not his last. Voldemort was known for his fear of death after all. His invisibility cloak was still missing and now he at least knew it was with Flint, maybe he should tell Tom.. just so he could get the cloak back. 

_ When I fell unconscious and was found by a prefect… I had my cloak with me then, but it wasn’t found on me. Flint took it then I think and used it against me, that is how he had the jump on me. _

It felt bad, knowing in the end if he had just told Tom about the cloak he would’ve probably been saved from the experience. 

_ Ah, I see. _

Even if the message was short it spoke volumes. Tom was disappointed in him and Harry fought the urge to be hurt by it. In the end he should be the one feeling disappointed, Tom had kept a lot from him than Harry had ever kept from him! 

_ Could you look for the cloak for me? I don’t want dad find out I lost it. _

Harry wrote simply, as if everything was normal. He should probably start looking over everything Tom had done with a grain of salt from now on, he shouldn’t trust him as much. Even if it hurts to doubt his bro- No, Tom wasn’t his brother was he? He really wasn’t… a friend maybe? Even that felt wrong. 

Then as he was waiting for Tom’s reply Ron walked out of the bathroom and sat on Harry’s bed. ‘’So, wanna help me with the history essay today? It’s due tomorrow and I got one solid sentence on it,’’ Ron asked, now a bit more awake than before. 

A friend was like Ron… No, Ron really wasn’t his friend. Ron was selfish and lazy and when Harry thought about it the only reason he hung out with Ron now was because Tom had asked him. Thinking about it now it was odd that Tom had asked that… it was right after his visit to Dumbledore as well. Had the headmaster asked him to do that? The anger was rising once again. 

It really felt like everything around him was becoming clearer, ‘’you really should do that on your own… to learn something.’’ Harry answered dryly and shut his book, reminding himself to check for Tom’s answer later. 

‘’Come on, I can’t handle Binns complaining to me with his monotone voice again! Remember last year, it took so long for him to finish. I swear mate I was dead inside,’’ Ron begged. Harry sighed, he really didn’t want to help Ron with schoolwork. 

‘’I have mine done already, why don’t you ask Hermione or someone else for help?’’ Harry asked, tired of the conversation. 

Ron groaned, ‘’I can’t! Hermione would just nag at me until I wrote it myself.’’

‘’Like you should,’’ Harry added and received an annoyed stare from Ron. 

‘’What’s with you today? So snarky,’’ Ron asked but then shrugged, ‘’whatever I will head to eat now, see you at potions mate. Cheer up before that comes around, will you?’’ As he finished saying that he patted Harry on the back and left him in the dorm by himself. 

Harry once more opened the book and read Tom’s reply. 

_ Very well. _

The conversation was over at that point, Harry really wasn’t feeling like talking to Tom. He was still tired and he had some work to do on that day. For now he should head to the library for research, maybe he could find something about his magic sensitivity. Then towards the classes. As he was leaving he hesitated a bit, then returned to his stuff and took the book tied to Tom with him. Having it gave him a weird sense of comfort.

*****

‘’So, what is everything doing for christmas?’’ Hermione asked looking at everyone around her. Ron and Seamus were playing chess, Harry was reading a book about mind magic and Neville was in the chair next to Hermione, watching the chess match. 

The months had passed and everyone was either leaving from the castle in a few days. Harry yawned, ‘’I think my parents have something planned already…’’ he answered as it was already known. 

Ron then huffed up, ‘’I’m going to go home and during Christmas we are going to have a big feast! I think Harry your family is invited.’’ He explained and then Harry kept a small sound to note he had heard Ron.

‘’Personally I can’t wait to get home, I have been so exhausted since halloween.. Can’t focus on anything it feels like,’’ Ron added and moved one of his pieces. Then Seamus laughed a bit and moved his own piece. 

‘’Chessmate!’’ he said in a victorious cheer. Ron’s face fell and he slumped in the armchair, deep into the pillows. 

‘’See! I swear I felt like that game was so easy, why did I lose?’’ Ron whined, not understanding his ailment himself. 

Hermione then hmm’d and her eyes went towards Harry momentarily and then back to Ron, ‘’have you thought about going to to Pomfrey and get it checked out? Maybe you have a flu or something…’’ It was something Hermione had noticed lately, Ron being tired, especially in the mornings. Usually the red head was perky in a few days, only to be exhausted again one morning. It was something that had been repeating those months. 

‘’Nah,’’ Ron said while waving his hand, ‘’I think I just need some rest.’’ 

Hermione didn’t answer anymore, as she was sure Ron wouldn’t listen to her theory at all. ‘’Wait Harry, how is it going to work with you being home now that you can’t be around Tom?’’ she asked, trying to keep the conversation going. It had been a lot of days where the group was just being quiet with everyone doing their own thing. 

Also there had been a weird mood going on between Ron and Harry, the two weren’t talking a lot. ‘’Oh, well you see it actually turns out I can be around Tom now. A few weeks ago we tested it out in the infirmary and there was only a slight reaction, so as long as I am not around him all the time, we can be in the same house,’’ Harry explained casually. 

Hermione furrowed her brows, ‘’you never told us anything about that.’’ 

Harry only shrugged, ‘’no one asked, so I didn’t think it would matter much. It happened around the time I was permitted to classes full time.’’ At this point everyone was looking at Harry which he only noticed when he lifted his head from his book. Seeing everyone’s confused faces he asked, ‘’what?’’

‘’I knew about the classes of course, but I think I just assumed you would tell about this as well,’’ Hermione said after thinking about it for a while. Harry seemed unfazed by this and just looked around to see if anyone else had any input. 

Ron then chided, ‘’what’s been going on with you anyways mate?’’

‘’What do you mean?’’ Harry asked, confused what brought this on. Hermione watched Harry keenly, already having noticed the off behaviour before. Then before Hermione could say anything Ron continued. 

‘’You have been acting more like Tom and less like yourself, it’s like you have got a stick up your ass since Halloween,’’ Ron explained, being quite straightforward. At that point Harry seemed to freeze up a bit and then after a few seconds shut his book and put his on his lap. 

Then Harry and Ron’s eyes met, ‘’more like Tom? What is that supposed to mean?’’

Neville then stepped in, ‘’I don’t think Ron meant it in a bad way… I think we can all agree that you have been a bit more quiet and reserved.’’ 

Ron nodded in agreement with Neville, ‘’yeah, if anyone had reason to be upset after Halloween it would be Neville- oh I mean....’’

Neville frowned a bit at that comment, but didn’t reply. ‘’Great job Ron,’’ Hermione said with disappointment clouding her voice, she added a sigh in the end. Ron’s tiredness was probably clouding his judgement, even he should know mentioning Neville’s parents like that was a low blow. 

‘’I didn’t mean it like that!’’ Ron insisted and then turned to Neville. His head fell a bit, ‘’sorry…’’ 

Neville slightly smiled, ‘’it’s fine, I get what you were trying to do. Just.. yeah.’’ His tone was full of sadness, being reminded of the fact he was without parents. Hermione knew some bits of the story as Neville was living with his aunt, but she didn’t know the whole reason. Because of this conversation Harry had seemingly frozen for a bit then, but snapped back when Ron returned the conversation to him. 

‘’My point being, something must’ve happened because you have been snarky and quiet since then,’’ Ron insisted but Harry was just seemingly bored of the accusations towards him. 

‘’It wasn’t a problem until now?’’ Harry said, with a hint of mock in his voice. 

Hermione sighed, already noticing this was going in a bad direction and when she was about to step in Ron already was continuing the spat. ‘’No one just said anything, because you can’t be approached at all! The most we see you are you reading something in the common room and other than that you just leave every time we get out of class,’’ he said with an annoyed tone. 

At that point Harry got up with the book in his hand, ‘’I’m just going to go now, before Ron says something he will regret even more.’’ With that he walked away and towards the dorm room. When he was gone Hermione turned to Ron.

‘’Well done Ron, now at least we won’t be able to know what is bothering him,’’ Hermione said with a dry tone. 

‘’No one else was trying anything better!’’ Ron answered, crossing his arms. 

Hermione sighed, ‘’telling him he is being snarky and has a stick up his arse is completely the way to go.’’ This reply didn’t please Ron at all, but Hermione really wasn’t expecting anything more. Neville just sat there silently not knowing what to say truthfully. 

‘’You didn’t step in, so don’t complain,’’ Ron said quietly. 

Hermione then jumped up from her chair, ‘’well, I am going to do something. I will go see how Harry is doing and actually try to understand him. Not blame him for everything.’’ She said proudly and walked away, leaving Ron there with Seamus looking at him with blame in his eyes. 

When Hermione started going up the steps he just heard Ron saying something to Seamus with a loud voice before the chatter faded into the background. Arriving at the correct dorm room door Hermione pushed it open and saw Harry going through his belongings

‘’Hey, I feel like I need to apologize for Ron. Yet, we both know he was being a complete jerk and you exiting was completely understandable,’’ she said with a slight sigh in the end, picking Harry’s attention and earning a slight smile. Harry put down whatever he had in his hands to his drawer and pushed it closed. 

‘’I just don’t think I need to bear such taxing behaviour,’’ Harry replied, not even bearing any sarcasm in his voice, shocking Hermione a bit. Usually when it came to Ron Harry had a lot of patience. 

This time it seemed Ron wasn’t getting any of Harry’s forgiveness. ‘’He did have a point though, even if he voiced them rudely,’’ Hermione added and walked over to Harry and sat on the opposite bed. Harry looked up at her, sitting on his own bed. 

A slight laugh escaped Harry’s lips, ‘’you normally don’t agree with him.’’

‘’It’s a rare occasion,’’ Hermione said with a sly smile, but it turned to concern fast. Harry picked this up and continued the conversation. 

The heavy and tired voice that didn’t fit Harry spoke, ‘’I want to do more. Learn and grow instead of sitting around and playing chess. There has been too much time wasted in my life - I realize that now.’’ 

‘’I wouldn’t say you had wasted time…’’ Hermione tried consoling but it felt empty coming from her lips. Even if she was happy that Harry was putting more time into his extra studies, he was more isolated from everyone. The months leading up to Christmas she hadn’t seen him around and when she had, he was quiet and by himself, ‘’your grades have always been above average! I wouldn’t say that was never a waste.’’

Harry laughed a bit, ‘’Hermione did you go into muggle school?’’

Hermione was slightly taken aback by the question, ‘’I went for a few years, yes. Why do you ask?’’ 

‘’I want to study the sciences you have spoken of, if I remember correctly… Biology, chemistry and physics?’’ Harry asked, as if rummaging through his brain for the right words. 

‘’What prompted this?’’ Hermione asked, shocked but happy that Harry was interested in muggle sciences. Even if they weren’t as exciting as magic, there was still some concepts that were interesting to look into. 

Harry stayed quiet for a moment and furrowed his brows in deep thought, ‘’you can’t tell this to anyone, alright?’’ 

Oh, Harry was embarrassed. That is a shock, she had never seen Harry been shy about anything, usually he was quite confident in his mind. ‘’Of course, I won’t tell anyone. It’s a promise,’’ Hermione assured him, reaching for his hand to make sure she was there for him. Harry looked at his hands in Hermione’s grip for a moment and took a deep breath. 

‘’I want to learn to be a healer,’’ he admitted. 

‘’Oh,’’ Hermione let out, but realised that was quite an underwhelming response. ‘’I mean - that’s great Harry! It’s good to have a goal to work towards.. But what does that have to do with your interest in muggle sciences?’’ she asked trying to figure out what Harry was searching for. 

Harry smiled, ‘’that is something for myself, but I can say I hope to find some similarities in the two.. Fill the gaps wizards cannot.’’ Hermione’s eyes widened, it was a big goal. It wasn’t something Harry could accomplish in a year, no - this would take him who knows how long. 

‘’You really are motivated for this…’’ Hermione admitted, seeing the fire for it in Harry’s eyes. Her friend was completely serious about this. ‘’It still doesn’t mean you should be giving Ron a cold shoulder… Healers need to tolerate all kinds of people,’’ Hermione said with a slight laugh. 

Harry shrugged, ‘’at this moment I can choose my companions. Ron isn’t a person I want to be around any longer, he doesn’t like how I am acting - so he can stay away.’’ 

‘’Last time that ended up with him bullying you,’’ Hermione noted, giving a knowing look towards Harry. Yet Harry just smiled back. 

‘’He can try, but I won’t just stand around and take it without saying anymore,’’ Harry said with a grin. Hermione let go of Harry’s hand then and pulled herself back, looking at Harry, trying to read him. If there was something she was missing, she couldn’t see it. 

‘’You know I’m here for you,’’ she said softly, Harry was her first good friend. Without him she wouldn’t have people around her and she really was thankful to him for that. Even if Harry would get shunned by Ron and the others, she would stick by him. 

There were times she feared she was losing Harry, in her mind it was because she didn’t hear him out. ‘’I know ‘mione,’’ Harry replied, kinda pushing the statement away as if Hermione wasn’t serious. 

‘’You can talk to me about anything, I mean it. I know there has always been something you’ve kept from me and I see you as a friend. I want to know more about Harry, but only if that is fine with you I mean…’’ Hermione explained but backtracked a bit when she realised how forthcoming she was being. She fiddled with her hair a bit before pushing it behind her ear and then looked at Harry firmly, ‘’talking about your problems is important! Maybe I can’t help but… I can hear you out.’’

Harry was frozen, Hermione assumed it was because she had been so blunt. ‘’I somehow have forgotten that my past isn’t a known thing, I’m around the Weasley’s so much and they are aware of my dilemma… that I forget no one else has been informed,’’ Harry said with a sad laugh. 

‘’What do you mean?’’ Hermione asked, was there some secret about Harry she wasn’t aware of? What could it be that it was hidden from everyone. 

Harry fiddled around with his fingers for a bit and then took a deep breath, ‘’when the Dark Lord died he was after me and my family… but primarily me and it’s because there is a prophecy of me and him that told I am supposed to defeat him.’’ Hermione gasped a bit of air at this revelation, she tried finding if Harry was making this up, but there wouldn’t be a reason for him to do that.

‘’Because of this I have lived in hiding my whole life, because the Dark Lord is still out there. He was never defeated and my parents are afraid he is after my life. So, I was trained since I was a child in some basic martial arts and defensive magic. Nothing big, enough for me to hold on to my life until someone comes and helps me,’’ he explained but laughed at that end part. 

‘’I didn’t know…’’ Hermione said, disappointed in herself as a friend. 

‘’It’s fine, I don’t enjoy people looking at me with pity or.. Expectations,’’ Harry said with a sad expression, trying to get Hermione a bit cheery at the same time. Lifting her head Hermione steeled her resolve. 

‘’I’ll help you with the muggle stuff. First thing of the holiday I’ll go buy all the books you need starting out, I’ll mail them to you - I promise. If you have any questions I’ll help,’’ she started explaining, already planning in her mind the best books to loan from the library. Should she actually buy the books? Maybe Harry wanted to keep them, in order to refresh his memory. 

‘’If you need any money, I shall send some over. You know it’s not a problem for me, but thank you Hermione,’’ Harry said softly. Hermione nodded in response and enjoyed the comfortable silence for a while. Then as she held the silence she realised she should probably be heading off, but before that she had one more subject she wanted to bring up. 

‘’What’s with the tart on your nightstand?’’ she asked, indicating towards the mentioned tart.

Harry turned to look at the tart and then towards Hermione, ‘’just something I picked up for Ron. I usually sneak them from the infirmary, as I don’t enjoy them. Ron is usually hungry during the evening after all.’’ 

Hermione mouthed an ‘oh’ and then shrugged and got up, ‘’well, I hope to see you around more Harry. I won’t let you isolate yourself as much any longer.’’ She said her farewells before walking to the door and waving goodbye to Harry. 

Happy how the conversation went Hermione hummed to herself while walking towards her own dorm room. Yet, she found herself quite sad about Harry’s predicament about the Dark Lord. It was something she had pulled from Harry, but she was glad she knew. It explained a lot about him. 

*****

Tom stared out of the window of the train, in his lap was the familiar black leather bound notebook. There on the pages a few messages without replies, Harry had been ignoring him since they had found out they could be next to each other. His hand caressed the necklace dangling on his neck, no harm had come to Harry when Flint had taken him. 

It still had left him with unease. Flint had stated after some persuasion that Harry had been completely unharmed while captured, yet there was something missing. Why had Harry’s voice been so coarse when he was found by Draco and the twins? From the report he had received from Draco Harry had been unresponsive when he was found. It was possible Vlermuis had dealt emotional damage upon Harry. After some research he had found that his father had been a low-tier Death Eater who died during an auror attack. 

It was possible he took Flints plans as an opportunity to act revenge upon Harry. Still, if Harry was harmed it didn’t explain his avoidance of Tom. He frowned, if the obliviation had been forcibly broken somehow… it would mean Harry’s mind was damaged. 

Because of the long period of time the obliviation was on him Tom had planned to make sure after the ritual that Harry wouldn’t develop any mental illness. The chance of it being broken was low, but every piece of information he had been handed did indicate to it. 

His main goal during this holiday would be to inspect the spell and making sure it was still in place. ‘’ _ You seem irritated, _ ’’ he heard Hydrus whisper from his robe pocket. The snake had been left to him even if they had desired to return to Harry. 

‘’ _ It’s your owner, I hope he isn’t thinking of doing anything foolish, _ ’’ Tom answered. Even if Harry was now aware of Tom’s identity, he wasn’t going to go around announcing it. The loyalty formed years ago was still in place. The act he was pulling right now was only him running away in fear. 

It wouldn’t go on for long. ‘’ _ I’m thankful I am finally able to embark from your company, _ ’’ Hydrus hissed. Even if the snake was small right now thanks to a shrinking charm, it was still chatty as ever.  Finally the train arrived on the end station and Tom took his leave from the compartment. If Harry had indeed regained his memory, he would be exiting the train last. All in order to avoid any extra interaction with Tom. After exiting the train he noticed Lily and James on the edge of the station and headed their way. 

‘’Tom, there you are,’’ James greeted him and Tom gave the man a slight nod. The auror seemed a bit more rugged than normal, his under eyes were darker and his eyes loopy. Something had the man busy. 

Lily then pulled Tom into a hug before he could resist, during the years he hoped he would’ve gotten more used to Lily’s need for physical attention. ‘’I missed you so much, my tough little man,’’ she said and then pulled away, inspecting Tom for any injuries or such. 

‘’All good?’’ she asked. 

‘’Of course,’’ Tom answered, wanting Lily to just remove her hands from him. Thankfully this slight reassurance made her pull her hands away from her. She then got up and eyed the train station. ‘’Harry seems to be taking a while..’’ she stated, worry appearing on her face. 

‘’Maybe the kid is embarrassed to be seen with his parents… I’m sure he is fine dear. You know it’s better for him to avoid crowds,’’ James said and tried to ease Lily’s worry. Tom did agree with this assessment. Thinking it rationally it did explain Harry’s late arrival. 

‘’You are right, I still don’t like to be made to wait for my boy any longer than needed,’’ Lily said with a slight pout. ‘’I’m just glad I could get both of you boys here for the holidays. You should’ve heard what Dumbledore tried suggesting to me Tom! He wanted to keep Harry in the castle in isolation for the holidays, as if he didn’t have a family.’’ 

James laughed a bit, obviously this interaction with the headmaster had Lily heated, ‘’yes Lily you did tell him your feelings about it very clearly.’’ 

‘’Naturally,’’ Lily stated as if there wasn’t anything wrong with it. 

Tom didn’t add to the conversation and just focused on trying to spot Harry coming from the train, most of the families had already departed from the station. Just as Tom’s patience was wearing thin he saw Harry walking off the train and towards them, Lily ran to Harry instantly and pulled him into a similar hug as she did to Tom.

Tom did notice Harry sending a glare towards Tom, a tint of unease, fear and sadness. The same eyes he had given Tom when they had tested them being together in the infirmary. ‘’Hello mom,’’ Harry greeted Lily. 

‘’You worried us kid,’’ James said with a slight smile. Lily still held onto Harry without saying anything. Harry tried to struggle free but it made Lily just hold on tighter. 

‘’Mom, I can’t breath,’’ Harry breathed out, starting to panic a bit. 

‘’I was so scared,’’ Lily breathed out finally. Harry then returned the hug and stayed there with his mother for a while. Tom just tried to keep his gut instinct to throw up in check, it was too sweet. He should find a way to separate Harry from his parents soon, a rift was needed. 

Harry then was freed from his mother’s grip, ‘’I’m sorry you couldn’t come and see me when I was in bed rest.’’ Lily then patted his hair a bit and got up and cleared her throat a bit. 

‘’The main thing is you are here now,’’ Lily said warmly. Then she clapped her hands and offered both of them to Tom and Harry. 

‘’Let’s go home,’’ and with that Tom and Harry grabbed her hand and were pulled into the apparition. They entered the familiar house of Godrick’s hollow and Harry and Tom went upstairs to unpack their things. After depositing his trunk in his room Tom walked over to Harry’s room. 

Opening the door he saw Harry jump a bit, ‘’I’ve brought Hydrus.’’ He announced simply and took the snake out of his coat pocket, with the shrinking charm still in place Hydrus took a while to get to Harry. 

The snake hissed happily as it smelled the familiar scent of Harry, ‘’thanks, I need to ask mom or dad to unshrink him.’’ Tom watched as the two reunited and tried to inspect the boy with detail, he held himself a bit different than before. 

More confidence and a bit of uncertainty, he was not feeling comfortable to be around Tom. 

‘’Do you need anything else?’’ Harry asked, looking up at Tom. 

He was curious how Harry had managed to bring the magic sensitivity he had under control. In the infirmary Tom had felt his magic being pulled to Harry and now being around him once more that feeling wasn’t there. The ability going away in such a short time was unlikely, so had Harry learned how to control it instead? 

Pushing more of his magic inside the room Tom locked eyes with Harry. ‘’You haven’t been replying to my messages, I want to believe you have been busy instead of… avoiding me,’’ he started a conversation. Not mentioning the amount of magic inside the room increasing. Harry was squirming a bit because he was being uncomfortable. 

‘’I haven’t had the time to read your messages,’’ Harry answered, his tone a bit weak. Tom still wasn’t feeling the same pull he had felt before, he then added a bit more of magic and more pressure upon Harry. 

‘’Indeed, well - if you had read your messages you would know we have been invited to the Malfoy Christmas ball alongside Sirius. I need us both to attend it,’’ Tom explained and saw Harry tense visibly at this news. 

Jumping up from his bed Harry met Tom’s eyes, ‘’I am not going to a gathering of pureblood jerks!’’ he screamed out. Tom was happy he had added some silence proof wards around Harry’s room. Otherwise the Potter’s would’ve heard that quite well. 

‘’This is not up for debate, it is in two days. I already contacted Sirius and got his agreement, he is looking forward to seeing Narcissa, his cousin..,’’ Tom explained, getting a shocked look from Harry. Oh, there was a hint of anger. 

‘’You can’t just go behind my back and agree to things! Have you even informed our parents?’’ Harry asked and Tom frowned a bit at the mention of the two. 

‘’No, but they won’t be able to stop us from leaving. I have arranged our transport to the mansion already. Even if they disagree with us going, they won’t stop us,’’ Tom explained simply, they were to be picked up by Sirius few hours before the event. What came to Sirius, he thought the Potter’s were allowing Tom and Harry to go. 

‘’I refuse to go,’’ Harry stated simply.

Tom’s magic flared and he could see Harry sweat a bit, Tom grinned. Of course, Harry could see his magic. ‘’Even if you seem so bent on not going, why do you seem scared?’’ Tom asked smoothly. ‘’Usually you tell me everything straight without worry,’’ he added. 

The obliviation had indeed been broken - troublesome. The positive thing was that Harry seemed to be very incontrol of his emotions and actions, the damage to his mind should have been minimal. Before Harry answered he took a deep breath and Tom felt the magic fade from the room and into Harry, "keep a better control of your magic… brother."

Tom grinned and pulled back his magic, Harry had managed to control his gift. Now that was interesting news. "I apologize, it seems I lost a bit of control. Now, I'll see you at dinner and I expect you to stop avoiding me," Tom stated and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him. He heard a loud thud from the door, it seems things are not going like Harry wanted them to. 

He should get used to that. 


	15. Chapter 15

Christmas Eve rolled around and the house was decorated to fit the festivities. Lily had spent most of the days decorating the house while James was barely home. 

The past few days Harry had managed to avoid alone time with Tom, not by his own volition. He wanted to tell Tom he wasn't going to the party, but every time he was trying to tell him his parents rolled around. He was pissed off, Tom was playing around with him. 

The smug bastard. His eyes swept over the journal and instantly he looked away, he would not open it. Not only was he pissed off that Tom is forcing him to go to a Malfoy gathering but also that he had figured out Harry had found a way to control his "gift".

Looking at his hand he smiled a bit, it was a lot of work but thanks to the sleeping draughts he had received from Pomfrey he was able to practice with ease. The last few months he had given Ron same baked goods lazed with the potion every now and then and drained his schoolmates magic during the night. 

It was just a matter of concentration how much he drained and the more magic he received the better he felt during the day. It had caused Ron to be tired and woozy, but that was a small cost to pay for information. 

Only reason he was friends with the guy now was because Dumbledore had told Tom to do that. How Harry hadn't seen it before was a mistake from his side, he wondered why Dumbledore had wanted this. But he wouldn't be enjoying Ron's _ lovely _ company any longer. 

The only thing he was happy about was that Tom wasn't aware of the obliviation being undone. If he knew he would've forced a new one on him already, that was something Harry was certain about. Tom was paranoid and wouldn't trust him with this information without a safety in place. Which there was none right now.

It made Harry uneasy, but it was a simple fix. He just needed to avoid Dumbledore, which wasn't difficult as he couldn't be around the man. Then as he was getting ready to go downstairs he heard the door open and some conversation alongside it. Walking to the hallway he stopped on the top of the stairs to listen in on the conversation. 

It was Remus, "Lily I need you to stay calm." His voice was shaking, it was weak. 

"Remus, just say it," Harry heard his mom answer, he tried looking down and catch a glimpse of Remus but regretted his choice when the man saw him on the stairs. 

Harry's eyes widened, the man was covered in blood. "Harry…" Remus said slowly. Lily then stepped forwards and saw Harry there. She frowned, "come here." 

Harry obliged to the call and walked down the stairs and looked at Remus while walking down. The man didn't show any signs of pain, so it was someone else's blood. "Go to the living room with Tom," Lily instructed him. 

"What happened?" Harry asked, not wanting to leave before knowing what was happening. Lily was so full of sadness and distraught. Her eyes met Remus's but then she shook her head. 

"Don't worry about it dear, now go to the living room. Stay there and wait," she instructed, holding onto Harry’s shoulder. Letting go she pushed him into the kitchen and watched as Harry made it into the living room. There he was greeted by Tom sitting on one of the arm chairs. Just there casually reading a book. 

Harry sat on the couch and tried to think what was happening. ‘’We need to leave in an hour,’’ Tom informed him. Harry turned to look at him, shocked Tom was still thinking about the party even now. 

Gritting his teeth Harry took a deep breath. ‘’Sirius is in work, how do you propose we get out of the house?’’ Harry asked, questioning Tom’s plan. It already had something going against it. 

‘’Severus will come and pick us up,’’ Tom informed. 

Harry laughed a bit, ‘’How did you get him to do that?’’ After asking it he realized how stupid the sentence had been. Snape is working for Tom and is probably aware of him being the Dark Lord, all those visits Tom had to his house in their childhood was all a cover. No wonder Tom had blocked the memory of Snape teaching him about his own experience about the Dark Lord. 

All planned by Tom, ‘’I asked him, he agreed.’’ Was the simple answer Tom provided. Harry wouldn’t get any answers from Tom about that subject so he decided to change it up, ‘’did you see the blood on Lupin? Something must’ve happened at work, what do you think it is?’’ 

‘’The werewolves are rebelling,’’ Tom provided, shocking Harry. 

‘’Werewolves?!’’ he asked, confused about how he hadn’t known about this before. 

Tom looked at Harry with a bored glare and then smiled a bit, ‘’there was a bill introduced to the congress during the last month that would make the freedoms of werewolves even more restricted than before. The main part included would be the registration of each one and the forced consumption of the wolfsbane potion. If someone doesn’t comply with these laws they could be sent to jail.’’

Harry shivered, he wondered how badly this affected Remus. ‘’So, I’m guessing that isn’t a good thing? Isn’t the wolfsbane potion an essential medicine in order to deal with the sickness?’’ Harry asked, he wasn’t that much knowledgeable about werewolves. 

‘’It helps gain control of their wolf, but it is also very expensive and because werewolves can’t find jobs because of their condition this bill would essentially mean every known werewolf would be sent to jail,’’ Tom explained. 

‘’So, they are fighting back,’’ Harry stated. It was understandable that they weren’t happy about these changes. 

Tom leaned on his hand. ‘’Indeed, they are hoping that the congress wouldn’t pass the bill in fear of the werewolves, but it’s having the opposite effect. All they are doing is proving why the bill was introduced in the first place,’’ Tom explained in a bored tone, as if this was something mundane.

‘’Do you think it is a good introduction?’’ Harry asked, trying to understand where Tom stood with all of this. 

‘’It’s idiotic. Werewolves are wizards like us, magical beings have always been discriminated after Dumbledore became Chief Warlock,‘’ Tom explained a bit of disdain cloaking his voice, ‘’it was like that before, but the bills passed haven’t directly been attacking them but they have in turn provided bills like this to be introduced and considered.’’

Harry stayed silent, it was a surprise Dumbledore had enabled something like this to happen. Was the Headmaster aware of this fact? ‘’You think he wants this to happen?’’ Harry asked. 

‘’Maybe, who knows about that man. All I do know is that he doesn’t care about politics enough to notice things like these. He would rather focus on Hogwarts, which is neither going well. We both know what his main focus is,’’ Tom stated and gave Harry a meaningful look. 

Thinking about it, Harry wasn’t sure did he know, but when he thought what he had Dumbledore work on normally it did click in his head. ‘’The Dark Lord,’’ Harry replied. Indeed, the old man had spent all his time to track down the Dark Lord who had appeared those many years ago. All he Order was doing was waiting for any piece of a lead, but most of the time they turned to rogue Death Eaters. 

‘’Exactly, good that you are using your head again Harry,’’ Tom said with snark and Harry almost shot something back at him but stayed quiet. This was not the time. 

‘’You think dad is alright?’’ Harry asked, worried about his father. He wasn’t blind, he had seen how tired he had been since they came back to the house. Before Tom could reply Lily walked to the doorway. 

Her under eyes were red, his mother had been crying. Harry waited with baited breath for what she was about to say, ‘’I need to head out, I don’t know when I am coming back… You two stay here, do not open the door and stay away from the windows. Promise me you’ll say here.’’ 

He felt his heart beat in his throat, it was painful seeing Lily like this. So weak and vulnerable, ‘’of course.’’ Then he swallowed trying to keep himself calm, ‘’can’t you tell us what has happened?’’ 

Lily shook her head, ‘’I’ll tell you when we know for sure. Don’t fret, it will be fine.’’ 

Harry nodded and turned to look at Tom who was now at the doorway as well, ‘’is it about his work?’’ he asked and Lily’s eyes watered a bit and she nodded. Harry looked down, trying to hide his own pain. 

‘’I need to go now, be good you two,’’ she said with a sad smile and she walked away. Soon the two heard the door open and close. 

Harry stared at the door for a while, ‘’you think the blood on Remus was dad’s?’’ he asked. Maybe he shouldn’t ask, because he already knew the answer. His dad was hurt and Lily was hiding that from him in order to protect him. 

‘’It is possible,’’ Tom answered, no emotion in his face or voice. His magic was calm as ever, cloaked well and not giving anything away. It was oddly calming, but it annoyed Harry that he was so calm now that the man who had taken him in those many years ago was hurt. 

Thinking about it Tom probably didn’t even care about James and Lily whatsoever, to him they were his enemies. ‘’So, are we still going to the Malfoy Manor?’’ he asked. 

‘’Yes,’’ Tom answered. Harry wanted to yell at him, but he knew there was no emotion to be shown from him. Tom did not care that James was hurt. All he cared about was his own interests and right now that was getting to the Malfoy gathering. 

Harry watched as Tom walked towards the stairs, ‘’what is so important about this party anyways? I don’t think the party is a priority right now… instead shouldn’t I wait for mom and see if my father is fine?!’’ 

Tom stopped walking and turned around to see Harry, ‘’what is your goal?’’ 

‘’What?’’ Harry asked, confused about the sudden question. 

‘’The thing you want to accomplish with your life,’’ Tom specified, taking a step closer to Harry. His eyes sharp and focused upon every action Harry was making. 

Harry frowned, ‘’I don’t see how that is relevant right now.’’ 

Tom huffed, ‘’naive.’’ 

Harry groaned in anger, ‘’and I guess you know the answer to everything?’’ 

‘’Not everything, but most things, yes. In this case, whatever you want to accomplish is decided by the people in that party and their opinion of you. Right now to them you are a nobody. Yes, you have a good family name to yourself but that is nothing when it’s tied to a family that hasn’t done anything the past twelve years. In their eyes your family is a paranoid joke,’’ Tom explained, his tone sharp and forceful. 

‘’My family is not a joke!’’ Harry said, insulted. ‘’May I remind you are part of that family?’’ 

Tom laughed, ‘’that is why I am going there. I shall gain a name and change this society and I won’t let your foolish emotions for your family stand in mine or your way.’’ 

Harry bit his lip, trying to hold his insults back. Tom wanted him to become angry and heated, get under his skin. He took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. Maybe he shouldn’t keep the conversation going, Tom was going to take him into that event did Harry want it or not. 

Merlin it frustrated him. ‘’I’ll go, but don’t insult my family again,’’ Harry said and looked at Tom firmly. He was angry and he wouldn’t let Tom do as he wanted, whatever political game he wanted Harry to do in that party he wouldn’t go along with it. 

‘’Go get ready, we will first visit the Diagon Alley to get robes,’’ Tom stated and headed upstairs, leaving Harry in the kitchen. Kicking the chair and sending it flying Harry released his anger. How had he dealt with Tom all the years before this was a shock. But it was good to talk to him, before he turned the conversation into a rant. 

*****

‘’These robes are uncomfortable, why did they need to be white!?’’ Harry grumbled, adjusting the robes walking out of the fireplace in Malfoy Manor. The entrance was as extravagant as expected. He glared at Tom who had insisted on the color. 

Tom didn’t answer Harry’s complaints at all and instead focused on the party before them. Snape then walked in front of them and towards the main hall. ‘’My robes are all dusty…’’ Harry complained while dusting them. 

‘’Are you a wizard or not Potter?’’ he heard the familiar voice mock from afar. Lifting his head he saw Malfoy on the other side of the room. Snape then flicked his wand quickly, cleaning out Harry’s robes. 

‘’Thanks,’’ Harry thanked simply and walked over to Draco, accompanied by Tom. 

Tom shook the other’s hand and Harry noticed how tense Draco was. Usually he was calm with Tom, ‘’welcome, I hope you enjoy the festivities. I thought you were being accompanied by Sirius Black instead of Professor Snape.’’ 

‘’Sirius was unable to attend due to work,’’ Tom explained simply and Draco nodded courtly. Harry watched the two interact for a moment before Draco instructed them to head through the doors and into the hall. Before Harry was able to follow Tom and Snape through the doors Draco grabbed his hand. ‘’I need to talk to you later Potter, in private,’’ he said, his voice low. Harry turned around to look at Draco, seeing the blondes expression being so scared did interest him. 

‘’Sure, just find me later. Gives me an excuse to get away,’’ Harry replied. Talking to Draco wins talking to boring politicians any day of the week. Also he wanted to know what had Draco Malfoy looking so frightened. 

‘’Good, now go before they grow suspicious,’’ Draco sated firmly and Harry agreed and walked through the door. There opened up an even more wide room, it’s size mirrored that of Hogwarts Great Hall. It was filled with tables and on one side was the buffet. There were a lot of quests gathered there already and next to Tom and Snape was Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy. 

Walking to Tom’s side he heard a part of the conversation ending. ‘’So, because Black was unable to attend I escorted instead, as a favor to their parents,’’ Snape explained to Lucius. Harry inspected the man, he was the spitting image Draco, just with longer hair. Lucius turned to look at Harry and Tom at that moment, seemingly disappointed at the sight of the two. 

‘’It’s a shock you two were able to attend. When my son told me he invited you two I was shocked… The Potter’s are known to keep to themselves,’’ Lucius said with a dry tone and shook both Harry’s and Tom’s hand. 

Before Harry could shoot an insult at Lucius Tom spoke, ‘’I am happy to attend this event. I hope it will be as wonderful as your son made it out to be.’’ It was smooth and Harry’s face molded into one of disgust, he was just sucking up to the man. 

‘’It’s good at least one of you two have been properly educated on how to interact with others,’’ Lucius said and then looked at the distance of people entering the room. ‘’I need to depart now, enjoy yourselves,’’ was how he departed from the group, Narcissa following after him. 

‘’He was a jerk,’’Harry said with a whisper. 

Tom smiled a bit, ‘’a powerful one at that. You should take some lessons from him.’’ Harry groaned at the comment and then tried looking through the room for someone to talk to. Yet, he found no one familiar to him there. Tom then embarked away from Snape and Harry followed by his tail. 

Realizing he was going to talk to Slytherin’s Harry frowned, but it was better than politicians he guessed. ‘’Shafiq, it was good you made it,’’ a blonde girl greeted Tom. Harry recognized her from his lessons. 

‘’Daphne, good to see you here as well,’’ Tom replied and nodded towards the others there. Then Daphne smiled at Tom and then turned towards Harry. 

‘’Harry, I didn’t know you were going to be here… Alongside Shafiq nonetheless,’’ Daphne said slowly, trying to read the mood between the two. There were interest in her eyes. 

Harry shrugged, ‘’he is my adopted brother, were you not aware? I thought you Slytherins valued information.’’ 

Daphne’s eyes widened for a moment but then she smiled a bit. Oh how fake the smile was, ‘’of course, that is why it was good for Tom to keep this a secret. It is unfortunate for him to be tied to your family.’’ 

Once again before Harry could come up with a comeback Daphne introduced the others near her, ‘’Harry, this is my sister Astoria, next to her is Theodore Nott and Blaise Zabini.’’ Harry then nodded slightly at each one as greeting. All of them expect Astoria he knew from his classes. A pack of bloodsuckers. 

‘’Will you be joining us Shafiq?’’ Daphne asked, her words silkily smooth. She was trying to get on Tom’s good side obviously. Tom smiled to her slightly and then looked around. Not knowing what he was looking for Harry feared for the worst. 

Turning his head back to Daphne, ‘’I shall stay for a moment, but I need to head to introduce myself to others. Can’t waste such a good opportunity.’’ Daphne nodded in acknowledgement. Harry laughed a bit, getting Daphne’s attention. 

‘’What is so amusing Potter?’’ she inquired and as Harry was about to say what he was thinking Tom threw him a cold glare. Groaning inside his head he changed his sentence a bit. 

‘’Only happy that my brother has such lovely friends around him,’’ he said with a slightly mocking tone. It wasn’t perfect but it was better than what he was about to say in the beginning. Daphne gave him a crooked smile and then took a sip of what looked like juice. 

‘’Thank you… I must say, I thought you were a brain dead goon like your friend Weasley, I apologize for my assesment of you,’’ Daphne said dryly. Harry saw Nott and Blaise snicker a bit as well. 

Tom’s mouth turned upwards as well, oh the prick. ‘’Well, I do enjoy making myself feel smarter with the company I choose,’’ Harry stated, but after he said it, he realised how bad it sounded. Finally it was someone else but Daphne who spoke. 

‘’At least you don’t quote books like your friend Granger,’’ Blaise said with a snicker. At that point Harry realised this party was going to be a battle of restraint. Is this how Tom had felt all these years living with him and his parents?

Shaking that thought quickly out of his mind, ‘’she still has more brain cells than Goyle and Grabbe combined… Actually double that.’’ 

Daphne laughed, ‘’I need to agree with that. Those two are all brawn and no brains.’’ Harry then smiled as well, he had managed to turn the conversation away from him being insulted. ‘’How is it possible that Shafiq ended up in Slytherin while you stayed in Gryffindor Potter?’’ she added. 

Harry froze a bit, he didn’t know how to really explain it. ‘’I guess you could call it family obligation,’’ he answered. If he was honest, he no longer felt like he fit in with the Gryffindor's now that he had regained his memories, but it was something he was unable to change. 

‘’I see,’’ Daphne replied and then picked up a glass of juice from a waiter and handed it to Potter. ‘’Join us, I would love to learn how Shafiq was as a child, his past is so mysterious,’’ Daphne suggested while smirking towards Tom. 

‘’He shall not tell you anything,’’ Tom said firmly. 

Even if Tom was saying that, Harry disagreed. He was going to enjoy his time there, ‘’oh Tom was a nightmare. Always thinking he was smarter than anyone, starting arguments with my father all the time. Absolute nightmare,’’ Harry explained, gaining a slight frown on Tom’s face. 

Daphne chuckled, ‘’he indeed does seem like a person of that kind.’’ 

‘’Did he wet the bed a lot?’’ Blaise asked, shocking everyone with the question. 

‘’No, but he did use my snake to transport books from my room to his whenever he was too lazy to move,’’ Harry laughed. Then the Slytherin’s seemed to jolt a bit in realization. 

‘’Wait, the snake in Tom’s room the whole time was yours?’’ Daphne asked. Harry nodded in reply, he thought this was some common knowledge. She seemed to be relieved by this information. 

‘’He was so protective of that animal, he even let it traverse the common rooms somedays. If someone tried to harm it they got into his disfavor,’’ Daphne explained. ‘’I swear sometimes I thought he only spoke to that snake and no one else.’’ 

‘’That does sound like Tom. That snake is mine, I got it as a birthday gift many years ago,’’ Harry explained. He had to admit, Daphne was quite amusing to talk to, a bearable Slytherin - one of the few. 

‘’I do not approve of this conversation,’’ Tom said dryly. 

Harry waved his arm, ‘’of course you don’t. Didn’t you have somewhere to be, now shoo.’’ 

Seeing the irritation wave from Tom’s magic got Harry to glow in triumph. Tom wasn’t amused Harry was downplaying his authority at all. Harry was sure no one else dared to shoo the Dark Lord. ‘’You do not order me,’’ Tom said. 

‘’True,’’ Harry admitted, ‘’and you don’t order me either.’’ 

Then when Tom stayed silent Harry turned back to Daphne, ‘’I would love to discuss you more about his past, I swear I thought I wouldn’t meet anyone interesting here.’’ Then he noticed Tom walking away from them and towards a pack of people in which Snape and Lucius was in as well. 

‘’I’ve never seen anyone else stand up to him like that,’’ Blaise said, breathing heavily. 

Daphne nodded in agreement, ‘’indeed, if it was anyone else I’m sure he would’ve cursed them to the afterlife already.’’ 

Even Nott agreed with that sentiment. Harry wasn’t too shocked that Tom was feared inside his house, but it just made pushing his ego down a bit more amusing. ‘’He can’t be that bad?’’ he asked, making sure they weren’t over exaggerating. 

Daphne stayed quiet and eyed the two of her classmates. ‘’No one wants a repeat of what happened to-’’ Blaise started but was silenced by Nott. 

‘’Anyways, we should go get food!’’ Daphne said and pulled Harry towards the buffet. Whatever Blaise was about to say was something bad. Maybe it was tied to why Draco wanted to talk to him in private. He then proceeded to spend the next hour with the Slytherins and he found them to be quite bearable as long as he kept the underlying messages in their sentences in check. 

Even if Blaise and Nott were good company, Daphne was the most interesting of the trio. Her sister seemed quite bored of the company and had departed to join with her friends instead. After the hour had passed Draco joined the three in their table. 

‘’God, greeting all the quests is exhausting, I’m happy that’s over,’’ Draco groaned and took a big gulp of his juice. Harry chuckled a bit, it was good to see Draco so tired. ‘’So when did Potter join the group?’’ Draco asked in confusion. 

‘’When he turned out to be good company,’’ Daphne provided. Draco turned to look at Blaise and Nott but they didn’t disagree with Daphne. Greengrass continued, ‘’also this isn’t the first Gryffindor to turn out to be good company.’’ 

‘’Don’t even joke about those two,’’ Draco said with a whimper. Harry tried to figure out what they were talking about but realised it was the twins they were meaning, he did remember them teasing Draco. It did amuse Harry that those two were giving Malfoy a headache when he was unable to do that. ‘’I’m shocked that Potter was willing to join you,’’ Draco added, looking at Harry meaningfully. 

‘’Better than talking to old coots,’’ Harry said with a grin, taking a sip of his juice. 

Draco didn’t retort to a comeback and just got up from his chair, ‘’remember what I requested earlier?’’ he said meaningfully and Harry sighed and got up. 

‘’Thank you for the lovely company,’’ he said to Daphne and looked to Draco. ‘’Shall we go?’’ he asked and then followed Draco outside, it was quite chilly, but bearable thanks to the candles heating up the patio. 

When Draco finally stopped at a good distance from the manor Harry figured they had reached their destination, ‘’so what is that you want to talk about?’’ he asked, noticing the unease fill Draco’s face once more. 

It was a rare sight seeing Draco so uneasy, ‘’have you noticed something off about Tom? I mean ever when you have lived together has he done things someone his age shouldn’t?’’ His voice was quiet and he kept looking around all the time as if he was worried someone would be listening on them. 

Harry furrowed his brows, ‘’no, he hasn’t. I mean he has always been a bit more intelligent than average, but I wouldn’t say that is odd.’’ What had brought this on anyways, Draco was usually admiring Tom instead of questioning him. 

‘’I see..’’ Draco said, not even looking at Harry, he was only lost in thought. His magic was restless, jumping at every sound around them. 

‘’Why are you asking me about Tom anyways?’’ Harry asked, not really feeling up for guessing what the blonde was trying to pry from him. Draco paced for a bit and then turned to look at Harry once more. 

He bit his fingernail and then released it. Obviously Malfoy was anxious, ‘’I saw something I shouldn’t have and now I wonder what Tom has planned for me. I’m certain he wants me to stay quiet yet he hasn’t acted upon it. Maybe it’s part of his plan-’’

‘’Alright, you need to slow down,’’ Harry interrupted Draco as he wasn’t making any sense. He grabbed Draco’s arm to get him to stop and look at him for a moment. Thankfully it seemed to work as Draco took a deep breath and calmed down a bit. ‘’Now, what did you see him do,’’ Harry asked calmly. 

‘’I saw him order Snape in his room, while Flint was on the floor being… tortured,’’ Draco said with a weak breath. Harry looked into his eyes, he wasn’t lying. 

‘’When was this,’’ Harry asked. If Draco had seen something like that then it meant Tom’s actually identity was in danger of being revealed. 

‘’After we had found you on the third floor, I went back to tell Tom what had happened and that was when I saw them. He noticed me - I’m certain of that. After Snape had left, he called me in as if nothing had happened…’’ Draco explained. ‘’Afterwards he told me not to tell anyone of what I saw, since then I have kept true to that but lately I’ve been noticing something.’’

Harry listened to what Draco was telling him keenly. Tom was sure to have a purpose for letting Draco go. Maybe keep him careful not to cross any lines? Tom did enjoy using fear to influence others. Thankfully this meant that Flint had been punished… ‘’What have you noticed?’’ Harry asked, not wanting to interrupt Draco and his explanation. 

‘’Snape has been lenient on him. He never picks him for questions or whenever Tom does something that would normally cause the deduction of points he ignores it,’’ Draco explained. Harry tensed a bit but relaxed himself instantly, he shouldn’t look like he was hiding something. 

‘’I’m sure he does that with all Slytherins,’’ Harry tried reasoning with Draco. But the blonde shook his head instantly. 

‘’No this is different, I am certain Snape is scared of Tom,’’ Draco insisted and Harry swallowed. Draco was getting dangerously close to the truth. Harry then took a step back and turned a bit to look into the distance. He really didn’t expect this when Draco insisted on talking to him. 

Looking back on the blonde he really tried to find the words to say, ‘’why are you telling me this?’’ he asked. If Draco had figured out who Tom actually was Harry didn’t know what he was going to do. He wasn’t sure what he should do. 

If Tom found out about it Draco was as good as dead - that was for certain. ‘’You are closest to Tom, so.. I think you deserve to know this. If I am correct about my assumptions you should stay away from him,’’ Draco explained grimly. 

‘’Your assumptions?’’ Harry asked. 

‘’The only person Snape would follow orders from and be afraid of would be the Dark Lord,’’ Draco said and he was meeting eyes with Harry. Indeed, Malfoy had figured it out. Harry didn’t react much, which in turn got Draco looking at him odd. 

All Harry was thinking about was how he was going to deal with this - such a headache. He walked a couple of steps forwards until he reached a few steps that lead out of the patio and sat down. Draco followed him there, but didn’t sit down. ‘’Your suggestion is ridiculous,’’ Harry tried once more. 

‘’Think about it, he is extremely powerful. He can even use wandless magic! Even taking down Flint and becoming the Slytherin King in the first month of school, that is an impossible feat for a normal student,’’ Malfoy explained, now sitting down next to Harry. 

_ You can’t let him expose Tom! _

Harry groaned. It was that childish voice once more, it was always there the more he was stressed out. ‘’Why would the Dark Lord decided to live with my family for the last few years and pretend to be a normal teen?’’ Harry asked, adding a laugh at the end of his sentence because of the absurdity. 

‘’Maybe because he wanted a fresh start? His reputation had gone downhill at the end of the war and he disappeared without any warning! Maybe this is why he hasn’t returned,’’ Draco explained and yes, it did make a lot of sense. Then again Harry didn’t even know why Tom was in the situation that he was in now. 

He didn’t have the chance the question him before his memory got wiped. Turning to look at Draco Harry thought upon what he should be doing. To protect Draco he needed to get him to surrender these fantasies of his. 

Draco continued when Harry stayed quiet, ‘’it is the only reasonable explanation that I can come upon… I just want you to be careful about him.’’

Harry stretched out his back and looked up at the sky, ‘’you are going to keep with him I assume?’’ he asked. Draco stayed quiet, Harry already knew Draco was aligned with the dark and that was fine with Harry. His parents did believe in the Light’s cause, but Harry found himself straying away from that path. 

‘’Draco… you need to forget about this,’’ Harry stated simply, looking up at the sky. That was the only way Draco was to survive this, he had stumbled upon something he wasn’t supposed to and he needed to forget it happened. 

Harry lowered his head and one more looked at the blonde who was now looking at Harry curiously, ‘’I can’t. This is something that will aid me in life in the long run, abandoning it now is a mistake I cannot afford.’’ 

‘’Yet, you go telling it to me. A son of two people who fought against the Dark Lord in the war. What did you expect me to do? If I go and tell my parents then your life is forfeit,’’ Harry called him out on his actions. It was foolish and reckless, as if Draco wasn’t fully devoted to the cause he said he believed in. 

Draco looked down and sighed, ‘’I realise that. Me telling you this is something I know to be wrong, but I needed to do it.’’ 

Harry smiled, in the end the blonde did have some humanity in him. Maybe telling Harry was his way of releasing guilt over knowing the truth about Tom, when no one else did. He was faltering in his faith, which could lead to Draco exposing Tom. 

His heart started racing. If Draco was willing to tell Harry then he could blab to someone else as well, ‘’have you told anyone else?’’ Harry asked, his voice a bit shaky. 

‘’No, you are the only one,’’ Draco replied. 

‘’Good,’’ Harry whispered. Then he got up from the steps and his eyes turned inside, the window panels shed some light to where Harry and Draco were. People inside could still see them if they wanted to. ‘’Come, we should go for a walk,’’ he suggested and Draco nodded, getting up as well. 

As they walked Harry enjoyed the silence while looking around them. ‘’Why did you want to go for a walk?’’ Draco questioned. Then as he asked that Harry looked around, they were well hidden by the trees surrounding them, it should be fine here. The wards could still be a problem depending how they were tied to Draco. 

‘’Draco, give me your hand will you,’’ Harry asked and reached out his hands to take a hold of Draco’s own. His gloves weren’t on him that day, as he didn’t need them any longer. Draco gave Harry his hand with slight hesitation. 

Harry grabbed the arm instantly, wrapping both of his hands around Draco’s wrist. ‘’What are you doing?’’ Draco questioned, looking at Harry with worry. 

With a deep breath Harry focused all of his focus onto his hands, if he did this right he should be able to take enough magic from Draco to make him unable to move. Afterwards he would get Severus there, that was his only option. ‘’This is going to sting,’’ Harry said before starting to take Draco’s magic. The warm started spreading rapidly to his hands and Draco as well was feeling it. 

It didn’t take more than a second before the warmth escalated to burning hot, ‘’Merlin! What is this?!’’ Draco screeched and tried to escape from Harry’s grip but found his body to not have so much power anymore. 

Harry watched as Draco’s magic drained inside him with rapid movement, it was starting to run low. He should stop now, he didn’t want to find out what happens when a wizard lost all of their magic. When he let go his hands from Draco the blonde fell to the ground. ‘’What did you do to me! I feel so… empty all the sudden,’’ the blonde demanded, but Harry ignored him. 

Block off everything, your focus should be on what you should be doing now - was what he kept telling himself. Even if Draco’s yells did reach his ears he needed to ignore it. ‘’Don’t try to move, I’ll be back soon,’’ Harry informed Draco and started walking back towards the party. Reaching the door he opened it and headed to the ball room where he searched for the familiar black clad figure. 

Yes, he could go to Tom, but that would ruin the point of him trying to protect Draco from death. He would get Severus to help him instead. Walking to the professor, he tapped him on the shoulder, ‘’Harry.. What do you require?’’ The man asked him dryly. Looking around Harry made sure Tom was nowhere close by. 

‘’Can you follow me somewhere real quick? I need a favor,’’ Harry asked. Harry was certain that Tom had made Snape treat Harry well after revealing his identity to the man, which would mean the Potion master would aid him. 

‘’This better not be any sort of prank,’’ Snape said dryly, but followed after Harry anyways. With haste in Harry’s step he ignored the snide comment Severus had made towards him and headed outside. When the professor caught up to him, Harry was already halfway through the way to incacipated Draco. ‘’Potter, where are you taking me?!’’ Severus demanded finally, stopping completely in his tracks. 

Harry looked around and was happy to find that no one had followed them outside, ‘’I need you to cast obliviate on someone.’’ He got to the point instantly. 

‘’You do understand what that spell does?’’ Severus questioned with a raised eyebrow. Harry nodded. 

‘’Yes, it erases memories from someone’s mind. That is why I need it. I need you to erase their memories,’’ Harry explained, he didn’t want to mention that someone was Draco. But at that point they heard a slight yell from a few feet away from them. Severus heard this and strode towards the voice. 

Harry couldn’t say anything before Snape was already where Draco was laying on the ground. ‘’Potter… Why is Draco laying on the ground here?’’ Snape asked, in his eyes a good bit of anger and disdain. 

‘’He did something off to me!’’ Draco screeched, but Harry walked up to him and just tied one of the ribbons from his mouth around the blondes mouth. 

He looked back at the professor who was now even more irritated, ‘’I needed him to stay still while I got you.’’ Harry then laughed a bit to release his nervousness. This was the most he had felt his heart beat since the orphanage. It was nerve wracking as it was exciting. 

‘’You better explain the whole story right now or I will-’’ Snape started but Harry cut him off, having heard the spiel many times before from his mother. 

‘’Draco knows who Tom really is,’’ Harry said with a serious face this time and looked at Snape dead in the eyes. ‘’I figured I should get you instead of telling Tom, because he wouldn’t treat Draco as gently as I have,’’ Harry explained further. 

Severus frowned, Harry tried reading the man’s mood from his magic but he was as closed off as Tom. Nothing showing on the outside. ‘’I understand,’’ the professor said, trying to assess the situation calmly. 

"So, can you do it?" Harry asked, knowing Snape probably didn't want his godson to be hurt. This whole plan really did rely on that. 

Severus kneeled in front of Draco, "instead of an obliviate I will be altering his memories so he will not believe Tom to be the Dark Lord anymore. This way his mind will be spared from unnecessary damage." Draco was trying to mumble something in his panic but couldn't do anything to stop Snape from entering his mind. 

Harry watched as Severus stared into Draco's eyes while the blonde calmed down. After a few minutes Snape got up and turned towards Harry, "how long until he can move again?" Instead of the rant Harry was expecting there came the calm question. Harry looked over to Draco but his magic was still faint, from his experience with Ron it would take a few days for the blonde to recover. 

That wasn't what they wanted, there was still a party going on. "Potter?" Snape asked when Harry didn't respond. 

"It's going to take a day until he can move and a few more before he is properly recovered…" Harry explained, too embarrassed to look at Snape. 

Snape grimaced. "I need to tell Lucius," he said seriously. Harry jumped up and shook his head. Telling Lucius was the last thing he wanted to do. 

"He will have my head!" Harry screeched. 

"Idiot, I won't tell him about you. All he will be told is that Draco knew too much and was punished for it, he won't be pleased but this is the only option," Snape explained and took his wand from his coat pocket. 

Harry frowned and watched as Severus inspected Draco's body for additional injuries. "I'm just glad Tom didn't find out," Harry muttered but got Snape's attention instantly. 

"If you believe for a moment that the Dark Lord doesn't know about this you are more ignorant than I previously believed," Snape said with a sly glare towards Harry. Previously thinking he was going to be fine from now on, this had him panicking.

His mouth dried up almost instantly, ‘’you think he is going to obliviate me?’’ 

‘’I do not know the answer to that, now I must go retrieve Lucius and if you know what is best for you… You shall be back in the party before I return,’’ Severus stated and walked away. Harry stayed there with Draco unconscious on the ground. This night had really taken an ugly turn, but if what Snape had said was true then Tom was aware of this happening. 

Collecting himself once more he got up from the ground and looked over to the mansion, he saw the shadow of Snape’s figure moving towards the door. He was fucked, completely. Why had Draco come to him with all of this? A foolish notion that he needed to protect Harry - which he did appreciate. 

Looking around before walking off he noticed some weird vibration of magic in the bushes, he was being watched. Taking deep breaths he tried calming himself down. It could be just one of the house elves. It wouldn’t make sense for them to be there, but it was a comforting thought. Moving towards the bush, Harry thought about what he could do to protect himself. 

‘’Getting Severus was smart,’’ he heard a voice call from the bush and from there walked Tom, as prideful as ever. Harry froze and took steps backwards, looking away from his adopted brother.

Hearing steps approaching him, he prepared for the worst. ‘’I am glad you didn’t choose to support Draco’s discovery and possibly exposing me,’’ Tom said smoothly and walked next to Harry without stopping. Harry started walking next to Tom. 

‘’Like Snape said you were watching,’’ Harry muttered with a sullen expression. He was proud of himself having been successful of hiding everything from Tom. Now that victory had been taken from him. 

Tom’s face kept solid, only his eyes looked at Harry briefly. ‘’I assume you made your choice then,’’ Tom said as it was obvious. 

This got Harry’s brows furrowed in confusion. Had he made a choice? As Tom didn’t continue the conversation he was obviously waiting for Harry to figure it himself. Tom hadn’t stopped Draco and Harry even if he knew what was happening. Additionally Tom had let Draco develop these thoughts for a reason. 

Harry stopped and sulked. It was a test - for him. ‘’You wanted to make sure I wasn’t going to betray you,’’ Harry said with a huff of air in the end. He was angry that Tom didn’t trust him, but then again, Harry didn’t trust Tom fully either. 

‘’I hope you will stop your foolish avoidance now,’’ Tom answered and walked inside and towards a room at the opposite direction of the ball room. Harry followed him, not knowing where they were headed. Tom stayed quiet during the walk and Harry followed his lead, these things should not be discussed out in the open. 

When they entered the room Tom had walked to Harry inspected the space. It was a bedroom. Probably a guest room of the mansion. Tom took it upon himself to sit in one of the armchairs, ‘’when we return to Hogwarts the first thing we are going to do is secure your memories. Everything is prepared there.’’ 

‘’And what are you planning to do to me to secure them?’’ Harry asked, uncertain what Tom had in plans. It had taken so many years for him to prepare it, it needed to have some more elements put into it than just memory charms. 

Tom smiled and made himself comfortable in the chair, still he kept the aura of regality that he wore when he didn’t think he needed to hide his identity. Harry seeing him like this always enforced the fact that Tom really was the Dark Lord. ‘’You should not fret, you will be coming out of the ritual more powerful than ever. It is just a security measure,’’ Tom explained. 

‘’You told me it would take a few months… If it is just a security measure why has it taken so long?’’ Harry questioned and finally sat in the other arm chair in the room. It indeed was as uncomfortable as it looked. 

Tom’s eyes met Harry’s, ‘’I added some extra adjustments. Do not think you can avoid a discussion about how you have kept your memories coming back a secret from me.’’ 

Harry’s face froze, he had indeed managed to keep the discussion away from it. Tom was angry at him, ‘’I needed time.’’ 

‘’Your mind is full of wounds caused by the charm being removed by force. I shall hear the whole story of what happened with Vlermuis whether you want it or not,’’ Tom explained with anger in his eyes and his magic flaring for a moment. 

It was odd seeing Tom being so forceful of his opinion. No, it was odd for him to order Harry. It made him feel horrible, ‘’I am not one of your Death Eaters.’’

‘’No, you are not. You are a child who thinks he is special,’’ Tom said nonchalantly. ‘’If you were a Death Eater you would’ve eaten tens of crucio’s by now thanks to how you address me,’’ he added with disdain. Harry glowered a bit because of that last remark. 

‘’You are still the same arrogant and smug Tom I have known since I was six,’’ Harry mocked and once more got a dry look from Tom. It felt good insulting the Dark Lord, Harry was probably the only one who could get away with that. 

Tom leaned on his hand and looked over to Harry, ‘’yes, it does give us both amusement how you try to establish superiority and failing majestically each time. That though cannot happen while we are around others, I shall not tolerate any back talk in the presence of others. Not even from you.’’ 

Harry shrugged, ‘’why are you telling me this now? Aren’t we just about to leave home soon? Mother should be coming back soon.. I’m worried.’’

‘’We are about to be joined by others,’’ Tom said and Harry lifted his brow a bit in surprise. 

‘’No promises, if I see you do something ridiculous I will call it out,’’ Harry explained, carefree. 

Tom frowned and his magic flared in order to warn Harry not to step over lines. ‘’I won’t be afraid to teach you what happens when you disregard my orders,’’ Tom threatened and then Harry heard steps approaching them. 

Turning to look at the door he waited who came through the door. ‘’Stay seated and don’t talk if you aren’t addressed,’’ Tom warned one last time, this time Harry only gave him a nod in answer. Holding his breath when the doorknob turned Harry watched as the first one to come through the door was the levitated body of Draco. 

Behind him came Severus who noticed Tom and Harry sitting in the room, the man gave no outside reaction - only moved Draco to the bed. Harry then realised they were in Draco’s bedroom, Tom had figured they would take him there. Which meant the next person to come through the door would be… Lucius. 

The man in question strode through the door and shut the door behind him. Tom took out his wand and cast the protective wards around the room with ease. Lucius noticed Tom when he cast the wards, ‘’why are you two in this room? This is off limits for guests-’’ Stopping his sentence only when he felt a searing pain on his left forearm. Gasping in pain he grabbed the arm, finally noticing the wand in Tom’s grasp. 

‘’My Lord…’’ he started but was silenced when Tom let out his magic fully reign free around the room. Harry tensed up, not really ever felt the magic fully, there was so much of it. It made breathing harder. 

It wasn’t as bad when Tom had forced him to use his abilities earlier, but Tom wasn’t singling him out this time. With smooth movement Tom got up from his chair and walked over to Lucius, ‘’kneel.’’ 

His tone was colder than Harry had ever heard it to be. It wasn’t a wonder that Lucius did as he was told, falling on the floor on one knee and his sights straight to the floor. ‘’I am overjoyed for your return, my lord,’’ Lucius stammered out. It was weird seeing the prideful man now groveling on the floor in fear. 

Tom paced around Lucius and looked towards Severus who was inspecting Draco. ‘’It is a shame your son got involved with who I was… Foolishly he tried to tell Harry about it, hoping his parents would be known to who I was. Luckily, Severus was there to aid him... ‘’ Tom explained and let Lucius listen to his explanation. 

‘’I apologize for my son’s foolish actions. I am certain he didn’t mean you any harm my lord,’’ Lucius apologized quickly. Harry forced himself to not laugh at the sweat drops on the man’s face, he was petrified with fear. 

‘’Not only that, but you let go of a certain book that I had asked you to hold onto... ‘’ Tom said, his anger even more apparent. Harry held onto his posture while Tom's magic seemed to whirl in anger. The man had excellent control over his magic. 

It was impressive and something Harry wanted to reach one day. "Thankfully, I was able to intercept that book before it could be in the hands of the Weasley girl," Tom added, looking down on Lucius. 

"I only wanted to-" Lucius tried to defend himself.

"Silence, I do not care how much you dislike that family. You went against my order of protecting that book…" Tom seethed, raising his wand and caressing it carefully. 

He turned around to look at Harry, locking their eyes. "Let this serve as a lesson and a reminder for you to never make mistakes like this again," Tom said and then turned quickly back to Lucius, "_ crucio! _" 

The spell left his wand swiftly and hit Lucius causing the man to start yelling out in pain. Harry wanted to look away, lock his ears or leave the room. He knew about the curse, it was extremely dark and assuming how mad Tom was… painful. Watching Lucius writhe in pain was horrible and Harry swore he could see himself there, screaming. 

Unable to fight back. 

Finally when silence returned as Tom let go of the curse Harry exhaled. At least it was over. "Now Severus… I am pleased you helped Harry in his time of need, but you acted behind my back," Tom said. Harry could see Snape visibly tense, was he going to get the same treatment as Lucius?

"Yet… all of this was because Lucius didn't teach his son not to go blabbing secrets to anyone he found…" Tom turned back to Lucius, a slight smile spreading across his face, "I believe that warrants another crucio."

As he ended the sentence he sent a new crucio towards Lucius who once more started screaming. Harry wanted to stop it. His eyes moved towards Snape who was looking at him, the professor only moved his head from side to side slowly - as if reading Harry's mind. This wasn't something Harry should step in between. 

Thankfully this time Tom didn't hold the curse as long. "Now, _ Lucius _," the man's name was said like Poison, "I shall be needing you to start making moves in the ministry. Even though I am in this state I shall not let the Ministry rot the community with their foolish ideals. Make a list of people you know that would support us, I'll tell you more as you mail them to me." 

Tom then turned around to see Harry, "now my business here is done, it was a lovely part Lucius." With that he dispelled the wards and walked out of the door. Harry quickly got up from the chair and gave a slight smile to Snape and walked out of the door and followed Tom. 

He walked after Tom all the way to the floo room and when Tom stepped into the fireplace Harry finally spoke out. "How will we get back? The house is under the Fidelius charm," he questioned and then Tom prompted to pull Harry into the fireplace. 

"I had Severus draft a paper with the address on it, not that difficult," Tom answered dryly and threw the powder at their feet, "Leaky Cauldron."

Stepping out at the other end Harry dusted off his clothes, not having much time though as he saw Tom racing towards the exit. Catching up to his adopted brother once more on the alley way he didn't have much time to recover as Tom pulled him into a side along apparition. Feeling his stomach being pulled as his feet tried to find stable ground was still uncomfortable as ever. 

Finally they landed and Harry recognized the familiar scenery of Godrick's Hollow. Tom let him read the paper quickly and the house appeared before him as usual. "Hopefully mom isn't back home yet…" Harry groaned and walked up to the door behind Tom. 

Tom didn't comment and instead walked inside. Inside they saw Sirius in the kitchen, turning to look at the two. "I won't scold you for sneaking out to that party… Go get changed, we need to go to St Mungos," he said. 

Harry looked at his godfather and felt his heart drop. The man was wounded, there were bandages lining his hands, colored red with blood. Tom walked upstairs without saying anything while Harry stayed at the entrance looking at Sirius, "why St Mungos?" His voice wasn't stable he noticed. 

Was he scared of the answer? Sirius stared down at the kitchen table, "your father is badly hurt… The doctors tried all they could but…" Harry saw Sirius shake his head a bit, his godfather was holding in tears. 

"He doesn't have much time."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the cliffhanger :)


	16. Chapter 16

"Drink this," Severus offered a potion towards Lucius who had managed to pull himself into his office thanks to help from Severus. 

A groan escaped the blonde's mouth, "I didn't need that during the war and I don't need it now." Even though he had refused Severus slid the potion over the table towards him. 

"Our Lord's crucio feels twice as horrible these days and you endured two of them, the first being very long. Swallow your pride and alongside the potion, you still have quests you need to give farewells to," Severus explained and managed to get the blonde take the potion. 

After he had finished the brew the blonde's complexion brightened up instantly. "The Dark Lord residing with the Potter's - their adopted child!" Lucius bellowed while Severus took a seat opposite the desk. The idea of the truth had become normal inside his mind, the years had made it easier for him to adopt it into his mind. 

"One thing I have learned over the years watching him in this… state, is that he didn't willingly put himself in it," Severus said, taking a sip of whisky he had poured for himself. The night had turned sour the moment he was called upon by the Dark Lord to the Potter residence.

Escorting him and the Potter spawn wasn't the ideal situation. "He hasn't explained how he has ended up in the body of Thomas Shafiq?" Lucius questioned, his voice still slightly hoarse. 

"It isn't any of my business," Severus answered dryly. Lucius took the whisky glass before Severus from him and downed it in one gulp. 

"Finally he is making his move," Lucius breathed out, then standing up to fill the glass once more. This time it was firewhisky. "I must say my faith has wavered during the years… Today he resembled more of the man my father praised than the blood crazed lunatic at the end of the war," Malfoy added, taking a sip of the drink at the end. 

"Even if he inhabits a body of an eleven year old," Severus added, gaining a nod of agreement from Lucius. 

Taking a seat opposite of Severus once more Lucius seemed thoughtful. "Why now? When you came to me asking for his wand I thought he would begin the movement anew. Don't let me even start questioning about the story behind the Potter child," Lucius ranted his thoughts out loud.

"What comes to Harry, I only found out today he knows about our lord," Severus admitted, keeping a neutral wall on the outside. "Why now… The politics, as our Lord explained it - there is a gap that we can exploit."

"Gap?" Lucius wondered and thought on the current politics. After he realised the answer he continued, "the Lycanthropy Detainment Bill, he wants to stop it from going through. The last war was backed the werewolves, naturally he doesn't want to see the bill coming to fruition."

Severus shook his head, confusing Lucius. "The opposite, he desires the bill to be put into action," he explained. The bewilderment on his friend's face wasn't a shock, this was a move neither of them had expected. 

"If it gets through the magical community will be close to a new war! The outrage of letting such a political climate be born again will bring nothing but negative opinions on the current Wizengamot Council!" Lucius explained and as he finished he realised their Lord's plan. 

"It will be easier to turn the public view when they are dissatisfied. Dumbledore letting such a bill pass when he makes himself to be a friend of magical beings will be nothing but a blemish on his reputation. Also bringing into question his ability to be the Head Warlock," as Lucius ended his assessment of the situation all Severus could do was nod slightly in return. 

Then he ruffled his robe pocket, looking for something. "Additionally he desires you to keep a public standing of being firmly against the. movement. Why he wants names of people willing to help, pawns that won't expose the overlaying plan," then as he finished he took out a piece of parchment and slid it towards Lucius. 

"Sign this before you join the festivities… An order. I really am pleased to know I am not going to be our Lord's only runner from now on," Severus explained the last part dryly. Lucius picked up the paper and read it through. It was nothing more than a secrecy contract, making sure Tom's identity would not be spread forwards. 

After Lucius signed the paper Severus got up and rolled it to his robe pocket once again, "now I'll head back to my potions. The party was… well, eventful." 

"I can't argue with that one…" Lucius agreed and watched Severus leave the study. 

*****

The way there seemed like a blur, Harry wasn't sure when he had sat on the chair at the waiting lounge. Lily was chatting with the doctors next to him, apparently his father had just come back from surgery. 

It came too late. 

Tom was as emotionless as ever next to Harry. If he didn't mean it before he meant it now - he wished he didn't know who Tom was. Not at that moment. It tainted the moment knowing his adopted brother really did not care for James. 

No, he shouldn't think about Tom. Yet, he didn't want to think about what was coming when they entered that room. He wasn't ready to say his farewells. 

"Hey, how are you holding up?" Sirius sat next to him, the man wasn't looking great either. Harry didn't answer, he felt weak and powerless once more. Could he have prevented this somehow? As if reading that helplessness Sirius continued, "your father took that hit in order to protect me."

Harry turned to look at him, "what?" 

Sirius smiled, "we were fighting off an attack Greyback - the leader of the rebellion, had orchestrated on a ministry officials house. I got… distracted and didn't see one of the attackers coming for me." Harry listened to the story keenly, he didn't want to miss one word. 

Sirius continued, "he took that hit, it was… bad. I couldn't deal with two of them, taking some hits myself… and then as if Merlin himself had sent him to help me, Remus came! Together we were able to get James here, but…"

Sirius stopped, gritting his teeth. Harry didn't need to know anymore, them being there at that moment was enough. "You did your best," Harry said softly. 

With a sad smile Sirius patted Harry on the shoulder and walked off towards Lily and the doctor. Looking down on his hands he fiddled with them, he didn’t know what to think about. It was a bit overwhelming. A slight laugh escaped his lips, then he blocked his mouth instantly. 

Last summer his biggest concern was if he was going to get to the Quidditch team or not. Now he was wondering if he could face his father at his last moments. Harry loved his father and if he had issues in his life he would talk to him about it, yet now… Harry’s lip quivered. He inhaled shakily and heard footsteps heading towards him. 

‘’We can go see him,’’ Lily said softly to Harry and then looking towards Tom to make sure he had heard as well. Tom got up, but Harry hesitated for a moment. He was scared to go in, scared to face his dying father at his last moments. What if he looked terrible and he would remember him like that forever?

That pristine memory he had of his father - wasn’t it worth being maintained? ‘’Honey,’’ Lily said, clutching Harry’s hands. She had noticed Harry was spiraling, the warmth provided by her hands stabilized him. ‘’I know this is sudden and I know there must be many emotions going through your mind right now, but… Your father would want you there, the doctor says they can wake him up for a few minutes before…’’ she paused, tears welling in her eyes.

‘’He would want you there at his last moments,’’ she ended and removed her hands from Harry and got up. This would be the last time he could see his father before... He took a deep breath and looked his mother in the eyes. He nodded and followed his mother and Tom to the room. Entering it felt horrible, seeing what was inside was even worse. 

His father was lying on the bed, covered in bandages. His left leg wasn’t there, the wound had been covered up. Through the bandages the blood could be seen, it had darkened and Harry thanked that he couldn't see beyond his legs. The wounds weren't the worst part, it was the weak expression on his face, he was sleeping but not peacefully. 

His chest tightened with anxiety, pushing the tears away. 

Lily raced to James’s side and then the doctor who was talking to Lily before walked in. ‘’We are ready to wake him up… Let me warn you, he might be in shock when waking up,’’ he explained and got out his wand and got closer to the bed where James was. Lily took a step back as well. 

Tom only stood next to Harry and examined the proceedings. Harry wished he could be as nonchalant as Tom at that moment. Watching the doctor prepare for James to wake up felt long and he could see the heavy breaths his mother was having, she was panicking and keeping the tears away from her eyes. Harry knew she had already cried, her eyes were red and puffy. He needed to stay strong, for her and James. 

Finally the spells were done and James started waking up. His body flinched upwards and the doctor placed his hand on top of James’ chest, holding him down. Even if the doctor was holding him down Harry could see the pain in his father's eyes, the instant he had regained full consciousness the sharp pain had hit him. The doctor then spoke calmly, ‘’you are at St Mungos, I recommend you do not move. The injuries you have are fatal, do not strain yourself too much.’’ 

After he had finished his sentence James looked around and spotted Lily on the other side, ‘’Lily..’’ As he called she stepped closer to the bed, taking James hand to hers. Her grip firm, but shaky. She was holding that hand in hope he wouldn't leave her, which couldn't be done with such weak efforts. Harry pushed himself to breath and clenched his fists. His father shouldn't die, not like this. 

‘’I’m here,’’ she responded, one stray tear falling from her eyes. Her efforts to keep the tears away seemed futile at that moment.

A stray smile spread across James' face, then he looked towards Harry and Tom. ‘’Boys, you are here as well,’’ he called out, just loud enough for Harry to hear. Taking a few steps forwards Harry approached his father, trying to force a smile. Be strong, he told himself over and over. 

‘’You have only a few moments, they did their best but-’’ Lily explained to her husband yet couldn’t bear to finish the sentence. James didn’t seem shocked, he seemed to know already the gravity of his injuries. There was no panic in his father's eyes, only sadness. 

James nodded slightly, ‘’when I lost my consciousness I wished I could’ve seen you all once more. Thank magic I was able to get this chance.’’ Harry could see his grip on Lily’s hand tighten, enforcing his words. Lily too tightened her grip, giving a soft kiss on the hand of the man she loved.

Harry didn’t move or say anything, he didn’t know what he should say to his father. James then turned back to look at Tom and Harry, ‘’Tom, come here.’’ He called and Harry then turned to look at Tom. For once he wasn’t masking his emotions showing through his magic, he was bored. Harry wanted to pull him away, but the expression on his father's face was so loving and warm, could he bring to light the deception? 

Tom walked over to James and grabbed the hand the man reached out to him. ‘’Still stoic as ever,’’ James started, a weak smile on his face. ‘’Even if we don’t see eye to eye… and I know you never got into the pranks I tried forcing you to participate in... You are my son. I never regretted that we adopted you.’’ James' face turned in to a smile and looked at his adopted son with pride. These were his true emotions.

As his father spoke to Tom Harry felt his stomach drop. Tom wasn’t moved, not at all. Then Harry took a second take - Tom was slightly amused. 

His breathing sharpened, the need to pull Tom away growing. Stop him from witnessing the heartfelt words - it was all wrong. ‘’I know you’ll do great in life champ. Even if you become a stuffy politician - know I support you. Just don’t let anything like this idiotic werewolf bill pass,’’ James added a slight laugh at the end. Harry let himself laugh a bit. Indeed, if the bill passed... then wouldn't his father die for nothing? Looking towards Tom, Harry hoped he hadn't recovered his memory just yet. So he could appreciate this moment to it's full fruition. 

Harry couldn’t see Tom’s face, but he assumed it was as blank as ever. ‘’I’ll work to make the wizarding community a place where such things won’t happen,’’ Tom said, his conviction actually being heard in his voice. Harry knew that was true, but it wouldn't be in the image his father had hoped, what he had worked for. 

‘’You do that and… don’t be afraid to show others when you are suffering. Promise me that,’’ James added and patted Tom’s hand. All he received from Tom was a nod in agreement. Then as James turned his attention towards Harry Tom took a step back and faded back into the background.

A few tears finally escaped Harry’s eyes as he approached his father. ‘’Prongslet,’’ James said with a laugh, then he coughed a bit at the pain the laugh brought. Harry put both of his hands on his father, waiting for the coughing to end. ‘’Remember… fear isn’t a bad thing. It keeps you from recklessly forfeiting your life like me,’’ his father explained, the man’s eyes watering. Harry felt his vision fog up and he couldn't see his father face as clearly anymore. The tears came and he couldn't be as strong as he had hoped. 

‘’The day you were born was the happiest I’ve ever been in my life. Even as I am dying I do not fear for the world, because you are still here,’’ Harry froze at those words. James gripped Harry’s hand firmly, ‘’I only regret you had to grow up with so many expectations. All I wanted for you was a normal childhood yet I was unable to meet those hopes. I love you with all my heart, I’m sure you can usher in a new decade of light.’’ 

It hurt. His chest felt as if it was being stabbed with a dagger each time his father spoke. This guilt wasn't something he wanted to feel at that moment. All he wanted to do was to tell his father everything he had done and all he knew. ‘’Dad… I-’’ his sentence got cut short at the heat at his chest. The necklace was heating up. 

Tom wouldn’t let him say anything. If he said something now would Tom do the same to his mother as he had done to Lucius? The sentence Tom had said before sending a cruciatus towards Lucius rang in his head. 

The heat was a reminder to stay quiet.

He was already losing his father. Wasn’t that enough for him? He let go of his fathers hand. Never before had he felt so helpless, he couldn't save his father from death and neither could he let his soul pass without lies tainting his memory. His breath became more heavy and he didn't know what to say, he couldn't lie. ‘’I… I-I can’t… I’m sorry,’’ he choked out, seeing the surprise on James' face and he felt his heart jump to his throat. He got up and walked over to the door quickly pushing it open. Sirius noticed him getting out but Harry hurried forwards. Away from that room.

He didn’t know where he was walking towards, he only wanted out. 

Away from the hospital. Away from Tom. Away from his mother and his father. He didn’t know how long had he walked until he reached the exit and he was outside. At that moment seeing the night sky above him he fell down to the steps outside the door. 

He broke down, the tears didn’t stop and he didn’t know how to breathe properly anymore. All the control he had previously was gone. 

His head felt like it was splitting. 

_ Maybe we should just go to Dumbledore and tell him everything? _ the thought was promising, yet he felt the childish voice inside him scream to Tom's defense. 

There were two of him fighting and never did he feel as if he sided with either one. His heart was pulled both ways, torn in between the two choices. Just one had him betraying his family - but hadn't he done that already? His father was dead and he was harboring the Dark Lord's identity from them. What he had done already were betraying his family. His loving family that only hoped for his best. 

Then again it was that _l__oving_ family that had kept him inside and forced him to stay in solitude for the most of his life. Forcing him with his beliefs. Dumbledore being the biggest advocate behind those actions, his family was only being pulled towards as he wished. Everything amounted to him being there at that moment, unable to say his goodbye to his dying father. He didn't deserve his final moments. 

Behind him the door opened, but he didn't bother to turn and look. He sobbed and stared at the pavement before him, there must be faint light coming nearby. From the shadows he saw that the person had sat next to them. 

Faint wall of magic surrounded them. Recognizing the magic Harry wanted to tense, but he didn't care anymore.

"My father, my actual father," Tom said deeply, getting a bit of Harry's attention. Never had he heard about the Dark Lord's youth or family. Dumbledore had only informed Harry of Voldemort's inability to feel love. "Was a muggle, my mother had made him drink love potions and so I was conceived. Naturally my father hated her and me. She died after I was born, managing to only leave me at an orphanage," Tom continued. 

Listening to the story was oddly comforting, even if Harry wished Tom wasn't there. "After years of struggle and pain, I tracked down my family when I was sixteen. After finding out the truth from my uncle I stole his wand and murdered my father, grandmother and grandfather. I framed my uncle for the murders, he was sent to Azkaban for the rest of his life," the story continued. 

Harry still kept his head down, not knowing what he should say. Was this Tom's odd way of attempting to comfort Harry? "I hated him for what he did to my mother, I also hated my mother for being weak and foolishly in love with a man who didn't love her back. Yet, leaving me in the orphanage was the correct choice. My father's family would've drowned me in the river."

His voice was emotionless even if his story was sad, it did explain why he was so detached from his emotions. "No matter how angry and furious I got, I never let my enemies see me fall down. I put all of those negative emotions towards making sure something like that could happen ever again," he ended. 

Harry stifled, taking a deep breath. His breathing was still uneven but his tears had stopped. "It's all wrong," Harry said, sorrow in his voice. "I should be devoting my life to killing you, yet I stand next to my father as…as he is dying and I can't tell him. I can't tell him I don't believe in what he used his life fighting for."

Harry took a shaky breath, uncurling himself from the floor. Looking forwards towards the darkness he gathered his thoughts, "even if I told him it wouldn't help. I know that."

Tom chuckled a bit, making Harry feel as if his gut was dropping. Could Tom even understand what he was going through? "If you so desire to go tell them, why won't you? I know it isn't because you know I shall fight back - no, you have more backbone than that."

Harry took a moment, he didn't want to tell Tom why. The reason terrified him, because he feared what route he was walking on. "I shall keep that to myself," Harry tried but it would not work for Tom. 

Tom accordingly said what Harry wasn't admitting, "even if you don't like it, you have come to believe in the cause I rally behind me. You do not trust me though, which is good. I only need your loyalty."

Harry hated it but it was true. "I won't betray my family," Harry insisted. Those rang true more than ever on that day, he never wanted to feel pain similar to what he had felt then. Watching his father die before him and- he couldn't finish the sentence in his mind. It was too painful. 

"There is no middle ground in war," Tom quipped, "everyone has to choose a side at one point. Even you Harry."

His head once more hurt, making him flinch and clutch it with his hand. 

_ Tom, side with him! Promises should be kept. We already got rid of one obstacle! _

Was that his thought? His father had been an obstacle in his decision making. Wasn't there less annoyances now? It felt horrible and disgusting that he had those kinds of thoughts. It made his stomach turn. 

No, no. His father died to keep Sirius alive and he wouldn't destroy that sacrifice. James wasn't an obstacle, never could he be something like that. "I won't choose…I'll find a way. My father… he wouldn't want me to be with the dark," Harry tried but finally he turned to look at Tom. A bit of terror entering him when he saw the eyes Tom looked at him with.

There was anger, Tom was angry. Why? Yet, as fast as he saw that emotion it was gone from Tom's face. "Your magic is more dark than light Harry. Would you betray yourself to keep your family happy? Live in misery just to feed your guilt?" Tom spat, then he got up and turned to look at the door. 

"You are more than this weak insecure fool before me. Stride with confidence and don't regret anything you need to do in order for your goals," Tom explained and Harry could only laugh at that. He was only twelve and there he was being ranted by a Dark Lord who was in a younger body than him about reaching his goals.

"So I can end up in my enemies home trapped in a child's body in sixty years?" Harry mocked and felt a cold chill coming from Tom. 

The door opened, "pull yourself together." 

Shut. Silence. 

*****

The funeral passed and the memorial service was about to start. As James had been buried at Godrick's hollow all the attendees could walk to the Potter residence. It had been a small service, only Order members. Weasley’s were almost all there, so were Sirius and Remus, even Pettigrew had come. 

Dumbledore was there, talking to Lily as they walked towards the house. Harry didn’t like it. The headmaster’s magic was a lot to deal with, but Harry never got too close to him. It was fine and he had assured her mother of that before. Tom and Harry ended up being at the tail of the group as they walked. 

After what had happened at the hospital Harry hadn’t spoken to Tom. His mind was still in disarray and he was quite embarrassed of how unstable he had been. Walking quickly to part from Tom he joined Remus for the duration of the walk. The man seemed to be tired, everyone was.

There was something that had bothered him, ‘’hey Moody?’’ Harry questioned and gained the man’s attention. Remus turned to look at Harry, giving the boy a slight smile. 

‘’Harry, beautiful ceremony. I think your father wouldn’t have liked it,’’ the man said with a laugh. Harry laughed as well, it was true. His father hadn’t been the one for such serious and tidy events. 

‘’Yeah… I’m sure he would’ve wanted there to be fireworks… Or chocolate frogs hopping from the grave,’’ there was a somber nostalgia to his voice as he replied to his uncle. A smile lifted even on Remus’s face. It hurt, but it also brought a warm feeling with it. 

It was good to joke, that’s what his father would’ve wanted. ‘’But.. Moody, can I ask something? About the day when dad… died.’’

Moody seemed to freeze a bit but he shrugged it off quite quickly. Yet, his magic stayed at unease. Maybe it was only because of the day that it happened - yeah, that made sense. ‘’What do you want to know kid?’’ Remus asked, now back to the somber warmth Harry knew the man to inhabit. 

‘’How did you know Sirius and my father were there? Or that… there was an attack?’’ Harry asked, pausing in his step for a while. This was something that had gnawed at his mind for a while by now. 

‘’I was visiting friends nearby when I heard the commotion. I guess.. It was fate,’’ Remus explained and then ended with a sulk on his face. 

‘’Fate is cruel… Because I was too late,’’ he added and Harry realised maybe the man was blaming himself for what had gone down. 

Harry took a deep breath and tried to push away the thoughts of him being suspicious of Moody. The man wasn’t capable of doing anything bad, no matter what. ‘’You being there helped us say goodbye to James. You did what you could,’’ he tried consoling Remus, thinking back on what James had said that day at the hospital. 

‘’Thanks,’’ Remus smiled and then softly patted Harry’s shoulder. The end of the way they didn’t talk much, only enjoyed the comfort brought by silence. Arriving at the house they all walked in and Harry then walked to his mother. 

Working to set up the dining table Harry stepped in to help her, ‘’mother let me help.’’ He insisted and took the plates she was carrying from her hands and laid them on the table. Afterwards he turned out to look at Lily but noticed she was silent and only staring at Harry. 

The last few days she hadn’t looked at him much. Whenever she had, she looked away. Harry acted as if it didn’t happen, but.. It was painful. ‘’Mom, I’m thinking of getting rid of my glasses and maybe growing out my hair! Wouldn’t that be great,’’ he asked, going to the drawers to pull utensils for the plates. 

‘’If that is what you want dear, but don’t do it because you think I would be happier thanks to it,’’ Lily insisted, her gaze now at the table and moving the plates slightly. Harry looked at what she was doing and frowned, she was nitpicking. 

Harry sighed, ‘’mom, it’s fine. I think I am in need of a new look. Also having bad eyesight is fixable… for a while. It’s not good to be a blind wizard.’’ Harry tried insisting, not letting Lily wallow on the negative of the situation. 

‘’Then… I think it would look great on you,’’ Lily let go, a slight smile coming on her face. Harry just didn’t want to remind his mother of her dead husband the rest of her life.

He thought it was quite an understandable feeling to have. 

When the table was set everyone joined in on the room. The table filled to the brim and Harry sat on the table with most of the Weasley’s. Ron seemed to be quite energetic again. Harry had to admit the redhead was the last one he wanted at his father’s memorial service. 

The room was filled with chatter as everyone ate and talked. 

After he had finished eating Harry headed to the kitchen, to escape the chatter and possibly help with the clean up early. Even if it seemed like that he just wasn’t willing to think about any of his problems that day. Those issues had taken all of his attention during the few days. 

As he was washing the used dishes he heard some footsteps behind him, turning around he saw it was Dumbledore. Turning to look back at the dishes he frowned a bit, he wasn’t looking forward to chatting with the Headmaster. If he kept his gaze away from the headmaster's eyes… he should be fine. 

Just don’t think about Tom. 

‘’My boy, I offer my condolences in this trying time,’’ it was that soft and comforting tone Harry had already forgotten. Even Dumbledore’s magic was different, as Tom’s was intimidating and almost amorous, Dumbledore was more reassuring and soothing. 

There was the same pressure though that was brought by the sheer volume of magic both of them had, ‘’thank you Headmaster.’’ Harry said courtly, focusing on putting the dishes on the drying rack and going back to the unwashed ones. 

‘’I am glad to know you have recovered from your illness. I could expect nothing less from you Harry,’’ Dumbledore continued. Harry turned to him, keeping his gaze on the man’s robes instead of his face, not that it was difficult. The colors were once more colorful. 

‘’I got tired of lying on the bed all day,’’ Harry answered with a slight smile and then took some plates off the counter on the middle. 

Harry was hoping he would be able to get the old man to leave in a moment. ‘’I hope I see you in the Great Hall from now on,’’ Dumbledore said, Harry could swear the old man was smiling. It was the smile that had Harry trusting him when he was young and probably why his parents swear by the man. 

‘’Of course, I’ll be there,’’ Harry responded quickly, trying to finish the conversation. 

‘’You can always talk to me Harry, if there is something bothering you,’’ Dumbledore continued, ‘’a loss of a parent is always difficult and trying. Know my office will be open if you need to talk.’’ 

Harry tensed up a bit, collecting his thoughts. There was something he wanted to ask the Headmaster after everything that had happened, ‘’did you know that the bill was introduced?’’ There, he asked. 

Tom had made a point that Dumbledore knew but didn’t care. ‘’Yes, it is quite an unfortunate thing…’’ Dumbledore murmured. 

Harry turned put one more clean plate on the dish rack and then turned around. Looking at the ground he took a deep breath. ‘’Because of it my father had to be dispatched to defend against the werewolves… sir, do you think it will pass?’’ he continued asking. 

‘’My boy.. I do not know the answer to that,’’ the Headmaster replied. It was vague. ‘’You should not worry about it, politics is not something you should bother your mind on,’’ Dumbledore continued. 

How irritating it was, why couldn’t he just give a straight answer. ‘’If it passes… my father would have died without a reason. I know you are the Head Warlock, don’t you have some sway in the Wizengamot?’’ Harry asked, his childhood hopes of Dumbledore coming through. 

This was the man who had taught him everything he knew about his ethics… well before he regained his memories. ‘’Harry, that is unfortunately over my jurisdiction…’’ Dumbledore tried once more but Harry knew it was a lie. 

The man wasn’t willing to fight to get the bill denied. ‘’You aren’t even willing to try?’’ Harry let out, his voice strained and coarse. This time he lifted his head and looked at the man to his face, the man was still wearing that slight smile. 

In the past it might’ve comforted him but now it irritated him to no end. ‘’Harry-’’ Dumbledore began but Harry turned to see Tom entering the kitchen. Dumbledore turned to see Tom as well, ‘’Tom, how are you holding up?’’ he asked, with the same fake insincerity he had spoken to Harry as well. 

He could hear it better now. ‘’I am not unaccustomed to losing people close to me,’’ Tom stated calmly and walked to the side of the table where Harry was. Taking an apple from the basket he turned over to the headmaster. 

‘’I could not help but overhear your conversation. How is helping overturning a bill over a Head Warlock’s jurisdiction? Also from what I know you control a good amount of votes as well, thanks to your heroic actions during the war against Grindelwald,’’ Tom explained, meeting Dumbledore’s gaze with ease. 

Thankfully Tom was keeping his magic in check tightly at that moment, Harry needed to focus to keep himself in check, but it was fine overall. Most of his attention at that moment was towards his anger and frustrations. ‘’I wasn’t aware you had studied up on politics?’’ Dumbledore questioned his tone in a whole new place. 

Tom nodded, ‘’I have as my family does hold some votes in the Wizengamot… even if they haven’t been used in a while.’’ 

Harry knew the basics of how Wizengamot worked, but he didn’t know how he could join the conversation. That didn’t mean he wasn’t enjoying Tom cornering Dumbledore like this. ‘’Of course, that does make sense. I’m sure you are aware of how much this bill has support,’’ Dumbledore explained, did he have an undertone of mocking with it? 

‘’Yes… People would be swayed if a person of your standing would come out and rally against the bill,’’ Tom called Dumbledore’s bluff. 

Dumbledore frowned, sadness spreading on his face. Before he could say anything though Harry stepped in, frustrated by the conversation. ‘’This needs to stop, I’m sorry headmaster I shouldn’t have asked as you are obviously not going to do anything to help to rectify this situation. I shall take my leave, my mother surely needs help in the dining room,’’ Harry said promptly and walked out of the kitchen. 

Entering the other room he saw Tom join the room as well and Dumbledore behind him. To make sure the old man wouldn’t try to continue the conversation Harry joined in on the conversation the Weasley’s were having. 

Putting anymore faith in that old man wasn’t wise, all he had was foolish lies of better days without doing anything towards it. Then as the people started to flow out of the house and it emptied Lily pulled both Tom and Harry to the kitchen. 

‘’I need to talk to you both… about the future,’’ she started. 

Harry nodded, his mother hadn’t been to work properly in many years and now that their father wasn’t there anymore he was quite scared of leaving her alone. ‘’I am going to be staying with my sister until you two come back,’’ she laid it all out. 

Harry tensed, only had he heard about his mom’s sister in passing before. ‘’I reached out to her and I actually saw her earlier today for coffee… She is living with her husband and they have a child as well. They know about magic, they aren’t happy about it and I agreed with her that I could stay if I didn’t use any magic,’’ she explained.

Harry felt Tom’s magic lash out a bit. ‘’You are giving up magic for over five months?’’ Tom asked, more calm in his tone than what his magic felt. 

Lily nodded slowly, ‘’yes… I think it will be for the best. I need a break.’’

Before Tom could accuse Lily more Harry stepped in, ‘’I understand mom. It’s better than you being alone.’’ 

Lily responded with a soft smile, ‘’thank you.’’ 

Harry gave her a warm smile. He knew how much Lily longed to patch things up with her sister, this was going to be good for her. It needed to be. If Lily got close to her sister and found happiness without magic… It would be ideal. 

Maybe it was selfish for Harry to hope that. If it happened maybe he could throw himself into helping Tom without worrying about his family too much. ‘’I’ll send letters whenever I can,’’ Lily promised and took both of the boys' hands into hers. 

‘’I love you both.’’

And at that moment Harry felt they had passed the storm.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Longer chapter, a lot of things happening in this one >:) Sorry for slow update, I wanted to make a proper outline on what I want to happen in the future in this story.

The train ride back to Hogwarts felt like eternity, too much time to think and at the one hour mark Harry realized maybe he should be around people. Before arriving at the train his mother had taken him to a visual repairing procedure, it should last until the summer when it could be renewed. 

It felt weird being without his glasses, as if he was naked. There was no one to see his new look either. Then as he was just thinking of that he saw some familiar faces passing by the door. 

‘’Harry!’’ he heard them call and then opened the door and rushed inside the familiar blonde with her green robes. ‘’Hope you don’t mind if Nott joins us.’’ 

Harry smiled, actually pleased to have someone to keep him company. Daphne was pleasant to be around, ‘’it’s fine.’’ Nott then entered after her and both of them sat down opposite Harry. 

"Decided to get rid of your glasses? Good, you look way better without, they aged you too much," Daphne quipped and Harry smiled a bit. 

"Thanks, but what brings you two here? I would assume you were with the other Slytherin's," Harry asked, quite shocked these two decided to join him instead of their actual friends.

Daphne smiled and made herself comfortable on the chair, ‘’I couldn’t take one more moment of Draco complaining about how he had to spend Christmas in bed. I swear the story keeps changing from him having a broom flying accident to a troll coming from a forest to attack him!’’ she complained. 

At that moment Harry did let himself smile a bit at that. It was good, Draco wasn’t aware of what actually happened. ‘’Seems like a treat to be around,’’ he quipped. 

‘’I thought the story was that he got pulled by moles from the ground,’’ Nott said with a completely serious face. Getting a sigh from Daphne. 

‘’I’m sure he just slipped in the bathroom and fell down. Now he just wants to pretend it was epic and legendary,’’ Daphne said with a mocking tone. 

Harry laughed a bit, ‘’it cannot be that horrible.’’

‘’Easy for you to say,’’ Daphne responded, but then she decided it was time to change the topic. ‘’How was your holiday Harry, I mean… After you disappeared from the party,’’ she asked, but all Harry could do was frown a bit at that. 

‘’My father passed away actually,’’ Harry responded and got the expected response from both Daphne and Nott. 

‘'I’m sorry for your loss,’’ Daphne tried but Harry stopped her immediately. 

‘’Don’t, that is all I’ve heard since the funeral. I.. am still grieving, but I am certain I don’t want any pity towards me,’’ Harry explained firmly and he was going to be mad if he got any kind of pity from either of the Slytherin’s.

Thankfully, both of them took the hint well and returned to the casual attitude they had before. ‘’Apart from all of that… My holidays were just fine,’’ Harry added, ‘’how about you two?’’ 

Daphne looked towards Nott, wanting him to go first. ‘’They were fine, my father used the whole time home teaching me as he believes the education in Hogwarts isn’t up to par,’’ Nott explained. 

‘’My father is doing the same, he hired a tutor who is now assigning me with extra work while I am in Hogwarts,’’ Daphne added. Harry was shocked to hear this, as all his parents had said to him about Hogwarts was how great it was. Also how many great experiences Harry was about to have. 

They never mentioned anything about education… expect his mother pressuring him to keep up with his homework. ‘’Is the quality that bad?’’ Harry asked. 

Daphne sighed, ‘’my father knows some families that sent their children to Durmstrang instead of Hogwarts. Only reason we were sent here was because of the reputation… It’s a known topic that the budget for the school has been cut down because of the falling performance.’’ Nott nodded in agreement. 

‘’I wasn’t aware of that,’’ Harry confessed, ashamed that he wasn’t aware of such things. 

‘’Well.. Your family is a known supporter of Dumbledore, it’s not a shock you didn’t know,’’ Daphne tried to reason with Harry. 

Harry smiled a bit in response to the attempt of trying to make him feel better. ‘’It’s not a problem, I came to the realization that the headmaster is nothing more than empty promises. Only thing he talks truthfully about is.. No, nevermind,’’ Harry took a take back. Dumbledore hadn’t been even truthful about the dark lord. First thing he had lied about was the prophecy, well, he had left out information. 

‘’My father thinks he is just becoming foolish in his old age and it’s time for him to step down,’’ Nott explained.

"He has reached his…prime a good few decades ago," Daphne said with a slight chuckle at the end. It was amusing, to have a conversation on the worst parts of Dumbledore. It was something Harry couldn't do with his Gryffindor friends. 

"He can't even see that our Defence teacher is a flop and let me not start on Binns!" Daphne groaned and then froze as she looked out on the train hallway. 

Harry turned to look as well and noticed it was Tom, who was now opening the door, "Nott, Greengrass, may I talk to Harry.. alone?" 

It was a request that Daphne and Nott abided by quickly as they got up. Nott got out, Tom moved just enough for him to get out. Before Daphne got out she turned towards Harry, "I'll see you around Potter."

Harry nodded a bit in response and Daphne then got out, leaving Tom and Harry together in the compartment. With smooth movement he sat on the opposite side of Harry. "After the feast comes to the second floor girl's bathroom, make sure you are not followed," Tom explained. 

"I haven't agreed to this yet," Harry fought back. He didn't even know what it entailed and how much it could possibly change him. 

Tom's mouth quipped downwards a bit, "it's today, whether you want it or not. It would be easier for you to come willingly." 

Harry frowned, visibly unlike Tom who hid his emotions behind a perfect mask. "A threat, how lovely," he murmured. "Fine, but I need to know more before we go through with it. I want to know what you have prepared for my…mind."

"It's going to affect your body as well," Tom added and got Harry to exhale quite quickly as well. The irritation was back. 

This jerk. "Would you like to explain how?" Harry said but he wouldn't take a negative for an answer. 

"I won't be explaining anything before your mind is safe for information," Tom responded dryly. 

"I could've told Dumbledore everything at the memorial just by looking him in the eyes and I didn't because I don't want to end up like my father, dead fighting for a cause that's doomed to fail," Harry spat out in anger. 

How much more he had to prove to Tom he was not going to stab him in the back. "I haven't even asked about this damn necklace that's on my neck that is oozing with your magic. I know it isn't tied to your family like you tried explaining," Harry added, lifting the necklace and letting it fall on his chest once more. 

"I'm surprised you didn't look it up," Tom answered, a bit of disappointment in his voice. 

"I did. Hogwart has no books that mentioned such a trinket, the only one that was similar was one that was used for adopted children-," then Harry realised it. "You have been feeding me with your magic for  _ years _ ," he hissed. 

"Yes, it was for you to grow stronger. I can't have you growing up weak and dying at the first sight of a spell coming your way," Tom responded as if it was natural. 

Harry groaned, one more thing Tom was keeping from him all this time. "So this ritual is going to make me stronger? Like this pendant which is completely not tied to my current magic sensitivity?" Harry said quite sarcastically. 

"If you did your research well you know your case is unique. It was a gift that you already had, I only nudged it to come up more quickly," Tom brushed off Harry's implications easily. 

"I'm sure you are taking credit for that," Harry said with a slight smile on his face and he could see the smugness on Tom's face grow. He really loved having his ego nudged a bit. "You shouldn't, it's my ability, get your own," Harry laughed and then Tom smirked a bit. 

The next thing Tom said was in parseltongue, which Harry took a bit of offence to, "felt inferior?" 

"Not at all," Tom said, "I would never feel inferior towards a kid like you."

"Certainly, I'm still taller than you though," Harry mocked, knowing Tom was sensitive about his height. 

Tom got up at that moment and Harry could swear he straightened out his back more than usual. "Second floor girl's bathroom, after feast. Do not be late," Tom stated firmly and walked out of the compartment.

As he was left alone there once more Harry realised he was actually a bit nervous for the ritual. Hopefully it wasn't going to hurt. 

Shaking his head, for now he should focus on getting his clothes changed and prepared for the feast.

*****

"So… How are you holding up?" Hermione questioned as Harry was piling on some baked vegetables on his plate.

Harry lifted his head a bit as he heard her speak, "sorry were you talking to me?" ?’’ Even Ron piqued his attention towards Harry who seemed so distracted. 

‘’I’m sure he is still processing it, don’t ask so much,’’ Ron tried to defend Harry and his distracted attitude. Hermione sighed and fiddled with her fork for a while. Harry laid his fork on the plate and now gave Hermione his full attention. 

‘’I’m fine Hermione, just thinking about a lot,’’ Harry responded finally and gave Hermione a reassuring smile. ‘’Oh! I read through those books you gave me at the end of the holidays, really interesting how differently muggles teach their children,’’ Harry commented and saw Hermione lit up at that moment. 

‘’You enjoyed the mathematics?’’ she asked with a bit of doubt. 

‘’Well, I haven’t really figured out the more difficult things but I am going to, because I need it to figure out the physics you know,’’ Harry explained and seemed a bit tired when talking about the subject. 

‘’It was a good few years of study material you went through, if you would get it all in a few sittings I would be proud… and jealous,’’ Hermione said with a huff of air. ‘’I can help you through the more difficult things, maybe today we can go to the library and study?’’ 

Harry coughed a bit and then drank a bit of water, ‘’not today, maybe tomorrow though? I want to be alone today.’’ 

With a bit of pity in her face Hermione smiled at Harry, ‘’it’s fine, just tell me when. I am happy to help.’’ 

Even if Harry hated the pity he couldn’t tell her to stop it. It was in her nature to worry, ‘’of course.’’ 

‘’I can’t believe you are agreeing to study overtime,’’ Ron joined in on the conversation, his mouth still filled with food. Couldn’t he swallow before talking? Well, maybe he could choke on it and learn some manners before talking about something he shouldn’t. 

Harry took a deep breath, he was irritated again. It seemed to happen more often than before, ‘’why do you care?’’ 

Ron shrugged, ‘’just that maybe you should just chill and take some time to have fun?’’ 

‘’Fun?’’ Harry asked, slightly offended by what Ron was telling him. During the holidays he had faded his comments to the background as it was none of his business what Ron had thought about his grieving methods. 

In response Ron snorted a bit in laughter, ‘’yeah, like exploring the castle and trying to get back at that jerk Malfoy for how he has treated you for the past few years.’’ His voice was so casual as if that was natural for them to be doing. 

For the first time he didn’t mind the irritation as Harry didn’t want to ignore it or keep it at bay this time. With Ron there was no bad thing to come out from telling him off, ‘’you enjoy doing those things and need I remind you, you were the one to make my life hell the first year here.’’ 

‘’I thought we were over that? And you never told me you didn’t like doing those things?’’ Ron tried arguing but Harry could only roll his eyes. 

‘’I told you so many times,’’ Harry stated firmly. 

Ron huffed, ‘’sure, like you ever listen to what I am telling you.’’ 

‘’Because you never say anything worth my time,’’ Harry shot back, tired of hearing the flimsy excuses Ron always barraged towards him. 

Ron frowned and finally stopped eating for a while. ‘’You are just like your brother and I should’ve never tried to get close to you again,’’ Ron groaned, his attitude changing completely. ‘’The Headmaster made me believe you were over that mentality, shouldn’t have bothered.’’ 

‘’So Dumbledore really talked to you,’’ Harry said smugly, his suspicions confirmed. 

Hermione hadn’t really had the time to jump in to stop the two bickering, ‘’why would Dumbledore talk to you?’’ she asked Ron. 

‘’He wanted me to be friends with Harry again, he told me Harry was lonely and wanted me to be friendly to him,’’ Ron explained, ‘’he even told me Harry wished to be closer to me and that what Tom did those years ago wasn’t some delusion I had.’’ 

Harry laughed. Of course this all lead to what happened all those years ago. Obviously Tom had talked to Hydrus then and made Ron and him fight. He was mad at Tom for it as well, but there was a cause to it. ‘’That seems as if he.. Sorry if I am making this up but, it seems as if he was trying to get Harry away from Tom,’’ Hermione explained. 

Ron looked at her as if this was obvious, ‘’wouldn’t be that bad of a thing, Tom is a snake and acts like it. Harry is better when Tom isn’t in his life.’’

‘’I don’t need your input about my life,’’ Harry hissed and tried to repress all of the insults he could throw towards Ron at that moment. At that moment he looked down upon that fork next to him, ‘’if you insult Tom once again I shall make you regret it.’’ 

That wasn’t a lie and his voice told that, yet Ron only laughed, ‘’you’ll run and tell Tom? Apparently that is all you can do these days… or insult others. Maybe you should’ve been sorted into Slytherin like that prude brother of yours’’ Hermione tried to hush Ron to stop talking. 

‘’Ron making the situation even worse won’t help!’’ she tried getting the Weasley to end this argument. As she was doing this neither of them saw Harry grab the fork tightly and hit it deeply into Ron’s arm. 

A painful scream came from Ron’s mouth, alerting everyone around to see what was happening. ‘’I warned you,’’ Harry spat out, his mind seeing only red. He promptly pulled the knife out of Ron’s arm and the blood started coming out of the wound. 

‘’Merlin! It hurts!’’ Ron screamed out and nothing on Harry’s face made it seem like he was feeling bad about what he had done. It was because he was not. 

Instead of regret or shame he felt happy. A slight smile came on his face, ‘’I really have wanted to do that for a while.’’ Was what he whispered and what only he and the people really close to him heard. 

It was exhilarating and he could feel his heart beat in excitement. Was this how Tom felt whenever he sent a crucio towards someone? That moment lasted until the commotion in the room became so loud Harry couldn’t hear his own thoughts any longer. He hadn’t even noticed her coming there but McGonagall was now next to Ron and ushering to get up. 

‘’Ms Granger take Mr Weasley to the infirmary before he gets blood everywhere,’’ she said with a strict voice and Hermione did as she was told and McGonagall then turned towards Harry. ‘’And Mr Potter shall follow me to my office immediately,’’ she commanded and Harry followed her without saying anything. 

Walking behind the teacher out of the Great Hall Harry noticed Tom at the other side of the room. Not his problem that he was going to be late for the dumb ritual. Once they arrived at her office McGonagall got behind her desk and looked at Harry, her gaze full of disappointment. ‘’What could possibly have you acting in such a way!? You should already know violence isn’t tolerated in our school in any way,’’ she started. 

Even if he was being scolded he was unfazed, ‘’he insulted my brother.’’ 

‘’I don’t care! Violence isn’t the answer to any conflict!’’ McGonagall pressed on, shocked how resolved Harry was towards not admitting what he had done was wrong. 

Harry still stood firm, not responding any further. McGonagall sighed and then sat on her chair, rubbing her face with her hand. ‘’You are the last student I expected to cause such a disturbance, especially right after the holidays…’’ she then exhaled and compiled her thoughts once more. 

‘’I know it must be difficult for you to deal with the passing of your father but I still cannot tolerate this kind of behaviour. Eight weeks of detention and a hundred points from Gryffindor,’’ she stated firmly. 

Harry nodded, ‘’understood.’’ 

‘’I’ll see you for detention on wednesday then,’’ she added, ‘’you may go, don’t do anything like this again or the punishment will be worse than just detention.’’ 

‘’I’ll take my leave, goodbye professor,’’ he said his goodbye’s and then headed towards the hallways. When he reached the second floor he noticed Hydrus had woken up in his coat pocket, they were rustling about. 

Harry frowned, he couldn’t keep them anymore in his dorm. Maybe from now on Hydrus should be with Tom where they would be safe. Arriving in the bathroom Harry looked around and saw Tom standing in the corner - waiting. 

‘’Stabbing Weasley with a fork, even if I would like to tell you the brutish way you did it wasn’t the most eloquent… We need to get going,’’ Tom said with a somber look and walked over to the fountain in the middle. 

He hissed some words to it, which piqued even Hydrus’ attention. As the middle fountain started moving away and revealed the path underneath Harry found himself speechless. To think something like this was in a girl’s bathroom. Tom spoke a few more words Harry couldn’t make sense of. 

Which then made stairs appear in the tube of darkness that had just revealed, ‘’that’s neat.’’ Harry said and Tom just started walking down the stairs without replying to his comment. As they walked down the stairs and came to the moist cave what it seemed like to Harry. 

‘’So, time to talk,’’ Harry started the conversation. 

When silence was his answer he continued, ‘’so how is this going to change me, physically I mean.’’ 

Tom didn’t even turn but this time he talked, ‘’I’m making you into a parseltongue.’’ 

Harry gasped a bit in shock and then hurried in his step to catch up with Tom, ‘’you serious?’’ he asked and assessed Tom magic then. He was annoyed but not lying, Harry felt himself become a bit more ecstatic about this whole ritual. 

‘’It will make it easier to keep our discussions under tight security,’’ Tom explained and then they arrived at something that seemed like a door. Yet Harry was a bit confused as it didn’t have a handle. Before he could voice his confusion once more Tom spoke in parseltongue. 

As he finished the sentence the door started to unravel and finally revealed the chamber inside. Tom passed before him but Harry followed his suit, looking around at the huge hall before him. ‘’What is this place?’’ he asked, looking at Tom now. 

‘’Salazar Slytherin’s chamber that he built whenever the school was founded. He wanted it there to protect this institution… and also to deal with muggle born students,’’ Tom said the last part a bit more seriously. 

Harry grimaced a bit at the last part, yet it was amazing how something like this was under the school without anyone else knowing. ‘’It’s amazing, except for the muggle born part,’’ Harry replied, adding a bit of anecdote. 

Tom walked through the path with confidence and Harry walked behind him. ‘’Talking about muggleborns… what is your stand towards them?’’ Harry inquired, while they still had time before they reached the end of the long walk. 

‘’They are a product of magic, even if… they are from muggles,’’ Tom said after a long pause. Harry took it, was better than him wanting them all eradicated like his parents had told him. How Snape had put it all those years ago did push Tom’s beliefs towards protecting muggle borns and not annihilating them. 

It gave Harry a weird sense of ease in his mind. ‘’So am I going to lie in the ground at the middle and you will recite some weird texts?’’ Harry asked, with a bit of a laugh. Now that they had reached the end Harry had to admire the huge stone statue. Slytherin really had done his best when he worked on it. 

‘’Good that you are amused by all of this,’’ Tom answered and then yelled in parseltongue and Harry instantly noticed loud rustling. As the sounds approached Harry had to take a step back as the enormous basilisk emerged from the pipes. 

Tom looked towards Harry as Jorn traveled along the ground towards Tom and Harry. ‘’This is Jorn, Salazar’s pet - so to say. Jorn is the school’s guardian beast… and she can smell out muggleborns,’’ Tom explained and then seemingly had a conversation with the basilisk. 

Harry watched as the two converced, averting his gaze from the snake’s eyes. Then he watched Tom stride upon Jorn’s back and looked at Harry as if he was waiting. ‘’We are riding… the basilisk?’’ Harry asked, shocked at how this was unfolding. 

Tom only nodded and waited for Harry to climb on. As he did, with caution he got on and as Jorn started moving Harry wobbled a bit and was about to fall. Before he fell down Tom took him by the arm and pulled him back on, ‘’I fell the first time.’’

‘’I would’ve loved to see that,’’ Harry laughed and then was relieved when Jorn stopped moving and they reached a door which Tom strode through. Inside was a study, as Harry entered Tom went back to Jorn and hissed something at her. 

Jorn then left the vicinity of the door and Harry hesitated a bit, ‘’so how are we going to get back down?’’ he questioned but Tom didn’t respond and just walked deeper into the study. 

Harry followed him a bit irritated that Tom wasn’t replying to all of his questions. As he reached the room where Tom had led him to he realised - this was a lot more darker magic than he had imagined. His breathing ceased a bit and then he gathered his thoughts. 

The room was dimly lit by candles that were placed in a circle. Inside that circle were two people, bloody and unconscious - laying on the floor. The worst was when he recognized who two of them were. ‘’Is that Lockhart?’’ he asked, recognizing the familiar blonde hair. 

Under the man started a series of crevices carved on the floor, filling the inside with a runic pattern.

‘’Yes,’’ Tom responded, his voice was without any emotion as usual. 

The other person was younger and Harry knew they were familiar, it was just that he couldn’t place the face quite correctly. They seemed to be close to Harry’s age. ‘’The other person?’’ he pried further. 

‘’Colin Creevey, a first year,’’ Tom provided the information. Harry noticed he was feeling a bit of anxiety - why were they there. 

Looking back towards Tom he saw that he was in the corner, mixing ingredients in the corner. ‘’How did you get the two of them here?’’ he asked, instead of the question bothering his mind. 

‘’Lockhart was taken here right before the holidays, he has been sedated and magically made to stay in deep sleep. Severus made sure he wouldn’t pass… Colin was having a holiday with his family in Spain when he disappeared,’’ Tom explained. Harry felt chills at the last part. 

He took steps closer to Colin’s body, ‘’he was with his family?’’

‘’Yes. Mother, father and brother,’’ Tom answered and then walked over to the circle and laid his ingredients next to it. Harry watched him and had a chill run down his spine. 

‘’What will happen to them?’’ his voice shook a bit, realising the gravity of the situation. 

Tom stayed quiet for a moment, Harry turned to look towards him seeing the burning gaze sent towards Harry. After a few seconds Tom walked towards the side where Lockhart was lying down, ‘’the ritual needs blood to work, about seven litres.’’ 

‘’They will be used for that,’’ Harry realised a bit of nausea hitting him. 

‘’Two people sacrificed for a greater cause are of no consequence. Especially when the other one is a fraud,’’ Tom explained and then took out his wand, the old one from his coat pocket. Harry watched him mumble some words and point it towards Lockhart. 

His gaze turned towards Creevey, if he was honest he didn’t care much for Lockhart, but Colin was so young. ‘’What about him? His parents will miss him… so much,’’ the last part came out strained. 

Knowing how painful it was made it harder to do it for someone else. ‘’They have another son, their lineage won’t be in jeopardy,’’ Tom provided and at that moment Lockhart gasped out, he had regained consciousness. 

The professor tried moving around but he only managed to only fall back on the floor without moving an inch. ‘’Good morning professor,’’ Tom said mock in his voice. Lockhart turned his head to look towards Tom and Harry couldn’t see his expression, but he could imagine the shock. 

‘’Why did you wake him up?!’’ Harry asked in shock before Lockhart could voice his confusion. As he yelled that Lockhart turned to look towards Harry, Harry saw the panic in his face. 

‘’I demand you let me move this instant!’’ the professor screamed but Harry ignored him and only looked towards Tom. If he was going to wake up both of the hostages Harry was going to find a way to escape. 

But he couldn’t get out without the basilisk. 

He couldn’t get away. Finally Tom spoke, ‘’I am going to ease your nerves. Don’t fret, I won’t wake the child… as long as you follow my instructions,’’ he explained this while circling the ring towards Harry. 

Swirling his wand around gripped it from the wrong end and as he reached Harry he offered the wand to him. ‘’Take it and mimic my hand movements, you have already seen them before,’’ Tom explained. 

Harry stared down at the wand, confused of what Tom was implying. ‘’I don’t think your wand will want to work with me,’’ he said. 

Tom smiled only a little, ‘’my original wand and your current wand are brothers. I am certain you are able to use mine - almost as well as yours.’’ 

Without further complaints Harry took the wand off of Tom’s hand and then turned towards Tom and mimicked the wand movements he was showing. Watching the movements he realised what spell it was, ‘’you want me… to use it on him?’’ he questioned, indicating towards Lockhart. 

It seemed as if their professor had caught on to the ploy as well, ‘’Potter.. I do not know what is going on. B-but you can just u-unhand me and let me g-go! No detention, no nothing! Everything forgotten,’’ Lockhart tried to plead for his life. 

Tom chuckled a bit, ‘’he means that literally. He has obliviated countless wizards and wrote books about their achievements as his own. It would’ve been brilliant if he wasn’t so incapable.’’ Harry had to admit that story did make sense. 

He hated that darn obliviate spell. ‘’Also Harry… Remember you need to want to hurt him,’’ Tom whispered, leaning towards Harry. 

Harry hesitated a bit, could he bring himself to do that? With Ron it was simple, he was so angry towards him and the afterwards feeling he felt so free. ‘’Think of all the people whose lives he ruined by stealing their memories from them,’’ Tom started and Harry knew he was trying to rile him up. 

Worst thing it was working, he was getting angry towards Lockhart. ‘’I did research and most of them are in mental asylums, absolute vegetables. Unable to move or even take care of themselves…’’ Tom continued and as he continued Harry rose his arm and pointed the wand towards his professor. 

‘’Robbed of their potential,’’ Tom ended and Harry felt the anger reach its peak. This man was using his fame to only boost his own ego and what did he do with that fame? Nothing - except for ruining the school's education!

As he tried focusing on the wand movements and if he really wanted to do it Tom continued, ‘’I saw it in your eyes in the Great Hall, you enjoyed it. Imagine that feeling… and triple it.’’ Tom paused and Harry knew his breathing had stopped. ‘’All you need to do is… say the words,’’ he spoke but at that moment to Harry it was a faraway voice. 

All he saw was Lockhart and saw his magic jumping in fright. The fear his victims never got, but what he would know for the rest of his very short life. He opened his mouth and focused on the anger he felt and how much he wanted Lockhart to suffer, his arm moved in a smooth motion as Tom had shown him and at the end, ‘’ _ crucio _ .’’ 

When the spell hit Lockhart a rush of ecstasy hit him -  _ oh, this felt good _ . His mind was jumping in excitement. Was this how all dark magic felt? No wonder Tom liked using the spell so much… 

Merlin it was amazing and as he saw the squirming body of Lockhart before him he wondered for a moment if he could get it more. The screams didn’t even bother him now that he was the one casting it. All until he felt an arm on his shoulder, breaking the spell. Harry quickly turned towards Tom, ‘’why did you stop me?’’ 

‘’Because the strong don’t get swayed by the pleasure,’’ Tom stated firmly and as Harry came down from his high, he understood. Yet, he wanted to do it again. With deep breaths he tried to calm himself back down and regain composure. 

When the absence of a wand in his hand became apparent Harry turned and noticed that Tom had left his side and returned to the ingredients Harry realized something - Tom’s magic was jumping around. It was something Harry had never seen before. 

‘’Go to the middle of the circle,’’ Tom ordered promptly and Harry looked at the circle once more. 

He wasn’t feeling the nausea and regret from before anymore, maybe it was for the best. There was no turning back, no escape. Pushing away his hesitant attitude he stepped inside the candle lit circle. 

Reaching the middle he turned to look towards Tom, but before he could react a stunner was coming his way. 

And it landed.

*****

With sharp movements Tom took out his notes and put his mind towards the ritual. Having Harry unconscious would help keep him still during all what was going down. From the drawers he took a dreamless sleep potion which had some pain dulling agents in it. 

He poured the potion down Harry's throat and then walked to Lockhart who was weeping in pain on the floor. Pulling a ritual knife from his pocket he sliced the man's arm smoothly, making blood pour out. It filled the crevices on the floor.

While the blood reached everywhere Tom returned to the edge of the circle, chanting parseltongue words while he moved. 

Reaching the end he grabbed the ingredients - all mixed into a bowl - turning towards Harry, keeping up the chant. With poise he reached Harry and took the dagger once more, cutting his palm and letting his blood seep into the bowl with the ingredients.

Grabbing Harry's palm he pulled it over to the bowl and cut his palm as well, mixing the blood and ingredients together it started warming up. Drawing his wand he turned it towards Harry's hand once more, casting episkey on it nonverbally. 

All to ensure the ritual wouldn't draw upon Harry's blood, that was the last thing that should happen. When the wound was healed Tom stirred the ingredients in the bowl once more, intensifying the chants. As it all was mixed it he took a bit on his palm and spread it over Harry's forehead and throat.

Before he returned to his position he walked over to the student's body and cut open both of his wrist, making the blood flow faster. 

He reached his spot once more and poured the rest of the ingredients on the crevices, making it turn in color and start glowing with pure magic. Kneeling at the edge of the circle he focused his magic in his hands. 

" _ Binded and so forth guarded, let this be the moment he births anew!"  _ he finished his chants and pushed his hands on the crevice filling it with magic and activating the end of the ritual. 

Lockhart and Creevey started shaking and their blood was pulled out of their bodies aggressively, pouring towards Harry. It gathered until the strings of blood formed a shell around Harry. 

Tom watched the ritual unfold with glee and amazement until a new magic source started filling the room. It brought the room temperature down and flew out the candles like a gust of wind. Tom fought the chills his body wanted to show - he was here.

"Death, it's been a while," he called out and rose up to look at the cocoon that had Harry inside. Was he here to toil with his plan once more? It couldn't happen. Definitely not. 

" **Five years, how do you enjoy your new life? The Potter's have treated you well I see** ," a voice filled the room, without a proper direction. Tom fought his urge to snark back at the being, he had beared through five years of humiliation because of him.

Tom took a deep breath, "why are you here now?" he demanded. Not about to act how Death sired him to.expected him to. He had forgotten how powerful his presence was and now that the dark smoke started forming into the black tar figure before him, exactly in the middle of the circle. Like a mother chicken to an egg Death cradled the cocoon, finally forming the familiar mask like skull as his face. 

A big toothy grin spread on the beings face, ‘’**it's a big event, the ritual that was meant to be all along… Now just a bit later than originally planned as Fate had planned**." Tom was confused what they meant, this was all part of their plans? Noticing the confusion Death continued, "**original timeline had you make Harry into a horcrux in your blinded rage and went without you even noticing. This brought you to your downfall,**" Death turned to look at the cocoon. 

" **Bested by him** ," he ended and Tom felt a bit of fear seep into him. Harry was going to kill him? If it happened in another timeline, who knew if it wasn't going to happen now as well. Now he was without protection, if he was to die he would be  _ dead _ .

Harry had been thinking about telling Dumbledore a few times, getting out. " **I didn't change the strings so you could doubt your soulmate** ," Death said with a mocking tone, as if he was already bored with Tom.

"Excuse me?" Tom asked, surprised by the statement by Death, "foolish, there are no soulmates. Especially not ones that kill the other one."

Death laughed, it was unsettling and Tom adjusted his pose a bit as the laugh went on. At the end Death turned back towards Tom, extending only his neck making it seem like a giraffe, " **a fool, that is what you are. Soulmates are two people tied together and no matter where they go they cannot escape the other person. No other rules.** " 

Tom looked at the face right at his face and tried to stand tall and proud, even when facing an absolute truth. "Why interfere now?" he asked, steering the conversation towards another goal.

With a smile death pulled back, his body dropping tar everywhere as it resided. It returned back to the cocoon, now painted black with the eery substance. Before continuing his speeches the being grew a limb, an arm and extended it away from the shell. Tom watched carefully, until Death plunged it towards the cocoon, breaking the shell. "How dare you?!" he screamed and pulled out his wand, even though it was foolish.

Blood rushed out of the cocoon in waves and to the floor. The hand moved as if it was breathing, " **I'm adding the extra ingredient.** " 

Slowly Tom lowered his wand and watched as the Death finished whatever he was doing. If he was going to tell Tom what it was that he was doing, he would’ve done it by now. Goddamn godlike beings that liked to toy with mortal lives. 

Finally the movement in the arm ended and Death pulled back the arm. As he did the cocoon started glowing and the blood spilled before recalled itself and solidified once more in the shape before. ‘’ **I am impressed you managed to grow out his gift… In other timelines it was looked over as it is quite dark, never did he feed it. Like his mind the gift was getting out of control,** ’’ Death explained. 

Tom frowned, indeed Harry’s mind had been splintered. ‘’This ritual was to fix his mind,’’ he argued but it didn’t work as Death knew what he had planned in the back of his mind. Harry’s splintered mind had made it easier for him to get him to listen and come to Tom’s side. 

‘’ **You have found two of my tools, I cannot give you anything yet but acquire the third and immortality shall be yours… If you so desire** ,’’ Death stated lastly and then with a pain in his chest Tom saw the ritual continue and the aura of Death recede from the room. As it did the rest of the blood flowed into the cocoon and it lit up - meaning the change was happening. 

Tom felt the pain, it wasn’t his heart, not his lungs. It was his magic core that was being changed - this wasn’t part of the ritual. He seethed in pain and anger, the change Death had made was to change his whole being. Merlin, he wished he could take down the bastard and retake his life. 

Forcing himself off the ground he fell on a chair next to the wall and watched as the cocoon slowly started dimming down. Before the light dimmed completely and the aching pain inside Tom went away time passed, more slowly than ever. Pulse reigning high during the whole time didn’t help make Tom gather his thoughts. 

For the first time he felt as if his emotions were a mess and he couldn’t take control into his own hands. What happened to Harry inside that cocoon was something he could only guess about. Uncertainty was something he disliked greatly. 

As the hours passed Tom was aware they were well into the night already, it was a long night. Just as he was thinking the pain had subsided the cocoon had cracked. With that one small crack it started to burst open and the blood inside flowed out and a hand with it. Tom got up, realising his body was in a better state now, he walked towards the cocoon. 

When he reached it, the flow of blood had stopped and Harry’s unconscious body flowed out with it. Tom pulled Harry’s body out of the blood and casted a few cleaning spells with it, to get rid of the blood. Outside and inside.

After a few minutes of cleaning Harry’s body off the blood Tom noticed something, Harry’s robe’s were torn at the chest and with it revealed a dark spot on his chest. Tom’s mind darkened and he tore off his robe over his shoulder so he was able to see his chest. There was a similar mark to Harry’s. 

He moved Harry to a couch to rest and then moved himself to the study, he needed to examine this mark instantly. 

*****

Floating was a relaxing feeling and that was exactly how Harry felt for what felt the longest time. He didn’t know how but he had known on some level what was happening and it all began what felt like a tendril plunging into his body. 

A warm feeling had woke him up, at least to the point he felt himself starting to move. All his problems seemed to melt into that river of warmth. A part of him wished that feeling continued for longer, but it stopped abruptly as it started to fade away and his grip of reality returned to him, along with pain. 

So much pain, yet he wasn’t awake yet. Just feeling the cold and the reality of pain once more. After what felt like eternity to him he woke up and he saw the mess that was around him. So much red and Harry focused a bit, his vision still cloudy. Why was a part of the room dyed black? 

Before he could think more he needed to find Tom, so he pulled himself up, no matter how much his body refused it. With weak and slow steps he moved back into the study where he saw Tom behind Salazar’s desk. 

Harry took a long breath and leaned on the door frame, ‘’was it successful?’’ 

At that moment it was all he could ask, even if his throat felt quite sore. Tom then turned towards Harry and his expression seemed more dire than normal. For a moment Harry couldn’t help but worry, if Tom looked like this it had to be unsuccessful. 

Then finally Tom spoke, ‘’you tell me _ . _ ’’ 

Harry laughed a bit, a stupid question. ‘’How could I?’’ he asked and Tom then seemed to smile a bit and laugh a bit.

‘’ _ You are speaking parseltongue, _ ’’ Tom provided, Harry catching himself then. His heart was beating in excitement and a bit of fear. Then he looked back to the room and saw the mess once more, now realizing the two bodies there as well. 

Only now they seemed like husks more than humans, he wanted to ask how their deaths were… yet he already knew the answer. It didn’t need to be voiced out, ‘’so the black spots? Those parts of the ritual as well?’’

Tom turned back to what he was doing, but just closed the book he had been examining. ‘’Yes, all part of the ritual,’’ he answered but Harry noticed something was off. Tom’s magic was… different. It was more, no, Harry didn’t know what was different. What he knew was that Tom wasn’t telling the truth. 

‘’They aren’t,’’ Harry said and walked over to a chair opposite of the desk Tom was sitting on. Turning to look at Tom he saw the anger and disappointment he was feeling. ‘’My mind is fine now, tell me… the full story, I need to hear it,’’ he said carefully, not wanting to make Tom more angry than he already was. 

The following silence was heavy and Harry tried to read Tom’s magic the best he could, but it didn’t tell him the story why Tom was in this body and how. Tom was unsettled and Harry wondered if he ever thought about telling. Probably not, but Harry hoped he could pry even a part of the story. 

‘’I’ll explain my story - the whole story,’’ Tom finally said and Harry really wanted to jump up in joy. Due to his body and that it would upset Tom, he kept it to himself, on the outside he was calm and kind of composed. 

‘’Go ahead,’’ he said instead of all of the emotions inside. 

And so Tom started talking, his life and how he grew up. How he entered Hogwarts after Dumbledore had come to visit him, how he had opened the chamber and killed a girl. When he had made his first Horcrux.. And so many more. How he gathered his Death eaters, his army. How he faltered for a moment when he thought he had a chance at a teacher position - his hidden dream. 

When Dumbledore had rejected him, like he had done his whole life. Leading to the night he went to the Longbottoms and how Lily had stopped him, that he got taken by Death himself. Destroyed his horcruxes and made him whole again, then threw him to the body of Thomas Shafiq. The rest of the story Harry knew.

‘’So, you got adopted to my family because Death had changed things?’’ Harry asked, a bit overwhelmed. Even feeling overwhelmed, he noticed that it made sense. When he looked at Tom now, it all seemed like it was part of a plan. 

‘’Indeed,’’ Tom replied and sighed a bit, then he looked down at his desk and realised one more part. ‘’The black in the room is because Death came and interfered. He did something - to you. I do not know what, but I shall find out. That is why..’’ he said and removed his robe, showing the black mark there. Harry looked at it and raised his hand to his chest. 

‘’I have the same?’’ he asked and Tom nodded. Fear, that was what the weird emotion was that he had seen in Tom’s magic. He was afraid of the unknown, things he didn’t understand. That was the moment Harry realised that Tom was as human like everyone else. All his life he had been running away from the unknown. 

Being forced into it he probably found himself terrified. ‘’It’s fine,’’ he stated firmly and saw that Tom was a bit surprised that Harry took everything so well. Harry had to admit he would normally want to freak out and start yelling - but right now his mind felt like it was completely whole. Unlike the past few months. ‘’Thinking that Death has it out for us makes changing the wizarding world seem like a common chore,’’ Harry added with a bit of a laugh. 

‘’I think he has it out for me, don’t flatter yourself,’’ Tom said and Harry smiled. 

‘’Good to know you’re still the same,’’ Harry said with a bit of a grin and then got up, happy his body had recovered quite well. Looking around the library he noticed the writings that seemed like skribbles seemed normal now. He really was a parseltongue now. 

Tom was Voldemort.

He was supposed to kill him, but here they were. He was still bothered that Tom didn’t talk more about what had happened with the ritual, but for now he had heard enough. Enough to process. 

It really was sinking in this time and he already knew the first change he needed to make. ‘’Tom?’’ Harry turned around and smiled a bit. 

Tom got up from the chair and was looking at Harry a bit peculiarly, ‘’even more questions?’’ 

Harry smiled widely and was actually excited to ask the question in his mind, ‘’will you teach me?’’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time will be a time jump as this is kinda an end of another sequence of events. Hope yall liked it!


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